The Child Nutrition Act of 1966 made it possible for children from poor and low income families to receive free and reduced lunch at school, and it also provided for school breakfast.
In addition, there is a program designed for children to receive nutritional lunches during the summer when school is out. If you are interested in any of these programs for your child, please do not hesitate to take the time to learn more.
National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
It is commonly referred to as the free school lunch program, but the official title is the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service Agency (FNS) funds the program and it is distributed to low income families by their children's school.
Typically, applications for free and reduced lunch are sent home during the first few weeks of school. If it is the middle of the school year, arrangements can still be made for your child to participate in the program.
Generally, if your household is receiving food stamps (SNAP Benefits), you simply need to initial the corresponding box, and your child will be automatically eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program.
National School Breakfast Program
Most people are already familiar with the free school lunch program, but many people may not be familiar with the school breakfast program. The National School Breakfast program is an FNS administered program that addresses the importance of students eating a balanced breakfast on a daily basis.
Children who are receiving free lunch and reduced lunch are already eligible to receive school breakfast, but not all schools participate in the program. National school breakfast week usually occurs in the first or second week of March, and the purpose is to raise participation and awareness for the program.
Summer Food Program
The Summer Food Program was designed to fill the gaps in the diet of children who do not get school lunch because of the summer break. Their goal is to provide nutrition to children from low-income or poor families on a regular basis. In the program, participating agencies go out to "feeding sites" and administer food to children in low-income neighborhoods.
Summer food programs can be found in community parks, recreation centers, churches, local schools, etc. Boxed lunches consisting of healthy food will be distributed to the children - an example of a typical boxed lunch might include a sandwich (w/protein) with dunkable veggies, a piece of fruit and milk or juice.
If you are interested, you can contact your child’s school for both of the FNS sponsored school food assistance programs. Contact your state human services agency to find out which community service agencies participate in the summer food program in your area, and then contact the agency directly to locate a feeding site
Sources:
State Welfare Agency (SNAP [Food Stamps], TANF [AFDC], Medicaid) Locater
National School Breakfast Program
Rachelle Williams - Rachelle Williams has been writing on the web for 2 years. In addition to Suite101, Rachelle Williams is a contributing writer for Demand ...
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