Working to End Hunger in America
FRAC improves the nutrition, health, and well-being of people struggling against poverty-related hunger in the United States through advocacy, partnerships, and by advancing bold and equitable policy solutions.
Resources for COVID-19
Hunger & Poverty in America
Explore the Data
Food Insufficiency during COVID-19
Explore the Data
Budget Reconciliation 101
Explore our report
Hunger, Poverty, and Health Disparities During COVID-19 and the Federal Nutrition Programs’ Role in an Equitable Recovery
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Ask the Biden Administration to Implement Universal School Meals
Read our Sign On Letter
COVID-19 Updates
FRAC posts all the latest on this page!
FRAC's 2020 Report on Federal Nutrition Programs in the Southern Region
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How does P-EBT work in your state?
P-EBT Updates
How has the latest bill in congress affected Child Nutrition Programs?
Nationwide Child Nutrition Waivers
USDA Guidelines on Using Existing Authority to Implement SFSP and SSO Meal Delivery
Q&As from the USDA on the logistics of delivering meals through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) while using existing authority.
News
FRAC Chat
October 10–14 is National School Lunch Week, an annual event celebrating the critical role that school lunch plays in providing children with the nutrition they need to learn and thrive both in and out of the classroom, as well as the tireless work of school nutrition departments across the country in connecting children to the nutrition they need to learn and thrive.
This year’s celebration comes on the heels of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health and its landmark National Strategy, which sets an ambitious but achievable goal of ending hunger by 2030. A key part of this strategy is advancing a pathway to Healthy School Meals for All, which acknowledges that school meals are just as important to students’ academic success as textbooks or transportation.
With wildfires ravaging communities on the West Coast and hurricane season well underway on the East Coast, school districts and other operators of Child Nutrition Programs can work with their state child nutrition agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide critical nutrition support to students and their families.
When a major disaster declaration is issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), USDA has the authority to waive program requirements that limit access to meals in situations resulting from damage or disruptions due to natural or human-made disasters, or other exceptional emergency situations. These include, but are not limited to, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and floods. School districts and other entities that operate Child Nutrition Programs can work with their state child nutrition agency and USDA to apply for waivers from program requirements that would otherwise limit children’s access to meals.
According to a new FRAC report, WIC waivers and enhancements during the pandemic have simultaneously removed access barriers and increased the value of participating in WIC, resulting in overall increases in program participation.
In February 2022, WIC reached 6.2 million participants, a 1.2 percent increase from February 2020. Learn more about the key findings.
Recent Publications & Data
See More Resources- Fact Sheet
Healthy School Meals for All means offering a free breakfast and lunch to all students at school, regardless of their household income, so they can learn and thrive. Learn more in FRAC’s new fact sheet.
Read the fact sheet - Report
WIC is an important resource for families with young children during the COVID-19 pandemic. WIC waivers and enhancements during the pandemic have simultaneously removed access barriers and increased the value of participating in WIC, resulting in overall increases in program participation. In February 2022, WIC reached 6.2 million participants, a 1.2 percent increase from February 2020. Learn more in FRAC’s latest report, WIC During COVID-19: Participation and Benefit Redemption Since the Onset of the Pandemic.
Read the report - Guide
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service issued Streamlining Program Requirements and Improving Integrity in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) on September 19, 2022, a final rule that simplifies and clarifies SFSP program requirements while also removing administrative barriers. Several of the final changes formally codify many of the rescinded policies that were previously available through nationwide waivers, as well as several flexibilities that are currently available through policy guidance. Learn more in FRAC’s summary.
Read the summary