Community & Child Care Programs
Supporting child care and community meal providers.
Food Systems & Support Programs
Strengthening school nutrition and local food systems.
School Meals Program
National School Lunch Program
National School Lunch Program (NSLP) – NSLP offers nutritionally balanced, low cost or free lunches to school aged children. Public or private schools and residential child care institutions that choose to take part in the lunch program get cash subsidies and USDA foods from the United States Department of Agriculture for each meal served that meets the federal requirements.
School Breakfast Program
School Breakfast Program (SBP) provides cash assistance to States to operate nonprofit breakfast programs in schools and residential childcare institutions. The program operates in more than 72,000 schools and institutions, serving a daily average of some 7.4 million children. It is administered at the Federal level by FNS. State education agencies administer the SBP at the State level, and local school food authorities operate it in schools
Special Milk Program
Special Milk Program (SMP) provides milk to children in schools and childcare institutions who do not participate in other Federal meal service programs. The program reimburses schools for the milk they serve. Schools in the National School Lunch or School Breakfast Programs may also participate in SMP to provide milk to children in half-day pre-kindergarten and kindergarten programs where children do not have access to the school meal programs.
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) is part of an initiative by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to offer elementary schools a wider variety of fresh produce than would be available through normal USDA programs, such as the National School Lunch Program. The goal is to create healthier school environments by providing healthier food choices, expanding the variety of fruits and vegetables children experience, increasing children’s fruit and vegetable consumption and making a difference in children’s diets to impact their present and future.
Community & Child Care Programs
Child and Adult Care Food Program
Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) provides affordable, healthy meals and snacks for families receiving child and adult day care. CACFP improves the quality of day care by ensuring access to a nutritious diet and improved eating habits.
Afterschool Snack Programs
Afterschool Snack Programs (ASP) includes two components; the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) offers cash reimbursement to help school-based programs serve snacks to children after their regular school day ends. To participate, your school district must run the NSLP and the after-school program must provide educational or enrichment activities in a supervised environment.
The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) offers cash reimbursement at a “free supplement” rate to help non-profit or non-school-based organizations serve healthy snacks to children in after-school care programs. To participate, your program must be “area eligible” and your after-school program must provide educational or enrichment activities in a supervised environment.
Summer Food Service Program
Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is the nation’s meal/snack program intended to meet the nutritional needs of at-risk youth during the summer months. Qualified Summer Food Lunch Programs can serve up to two meals or one meal and one snack per day for each child during the summer months.
Food Systems & Support Programs
Farm to School Program
Farm to School connects schools with local farmers and producers to bring fresh, locally grown foods into school meals. It also support hands on learning by engaging students in agriculture, nutrition, and the local food system.
Food Distribution Program
Food Distribution Program (FDP) mission is to strengthen the Nation’s nutrition safety net by providing food and nutrition assistance to school children and families; and support the American agriculture by distributing high quality, 100% American-grown USDA Foods. The Department of Defense (DoD) Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program allows schools to use USDA Foods entitlement dollars to buy fresh produce. The program is operated by the Defense Logistics Agency at the Department of Defense.
Looking for Federal Resources?
Explore USDA National School Lunch & Child Nutrition Guidelines
Visit USDA Site