School and Afterschool Meals Fuel Student Health and Learning
School and afterschool meals reduce hunger and support students’ learning, behavior, attendance, and health, while helping families stretch their household budgets amid rising food and living costs.
Did You Know?
Research shows that school meals are incredibly important for students, especially students from households with low incomes? Learn more in this blog from FRAC’s President Crystal FitzSimons.
Healthy School Meals for All
Nine States Lead the Way
Healthy School Meals for All — offering school breakfast and lunch to all students at no charge to families —helps ensure that all children have the nutrition they need to grow and thrive.
By offering Healthy School Meals for All students, states are seeing measurable gains in student participation. Nine states – California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, and Vermont – have already shown us what is possible.
Urge Your Members of Congress to Cosponsor the Universal School Meals Program Act
This legislation would create permanent nationwide Healthy School Meals for All, increase reimbursement rates for school meals, end lunch shaming, and more. Check to see if your Senator is on the bill here and if your Representative is on the bill here.
Keeping Kids Fed With CEP
Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)
CEP is a proven pathway to Healthy School Meals for All, allowing high-need schools to serve more students with fewer administrative hurdles.
During the 2025–2026 school year, a record 55,362 schools offered breakfast and lunch to all their students through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).
Spotlight on Afterschool Meals
Fueling Children Beyond the School Day
Afterschool suppers and snacks fill a critical nutrition gap, nourishing millions of children in low-income households after school. Afterschool meal programs are required to offer educational or enrichment activities in addition to meals, which enables children to learn and stay safe when school is out. The meals served through this program draw children to these activities.
SNAP Cuts Are Cuts to School Meals
The 2025 budget reconciliation law (H.R. 1) made deep cuts to SNAP that will undermine gains made in school meal participation.
When children lose SNAP, they lose their automatic eligibility for free school meals.
Fewer schools will be able to offer free meals to all their students through CEP.
SNAP Cuts Must Be Reversed
Federal cuts to SNAP threaten access to school meals, especially in high-need communities. FRAC is calling on Congress to use any legislative vehicle to mitigate the harm of SNAP cuts and do everything in its power to strengthen and restore SNAP and protect access to free school meals.
Spread the Word: Share FRAC Chat Blogs and Resources
Since its nationwide launch in the 2014–2015 school year, participation in CEP has steadily increased, helping millions of students access the nutrition they need to learn, grow, and thrive.
Cuts to SNAP Threaten the Child Nutrition Programs
SNAP provides a direct link to free school meals. Severing that link means fewer children get fed.
FRAC’s Community Eligibility Landing Page
CEP allows high-poverty schools and school districts to provide breakfast and lunch at no charge to all students. Learn how it works.
Nourishing Success: Food Security for Every Student
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Social Media Toolkit
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Community Eligibility: The Key to Hunger-Free Schools, School Year 2025-2026
Read moreEight Ways to Increase Participation in Afterschool Suppers
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Large District Report: A Snapshot of Participation and Operations in October 2025
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Healthy School Meals for All State Advocacy Guide: Reducing Childhood Hunger Through Innovative Policy
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Afterschool Suppers: A Snapshot of Participation in October 2024
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