FRAC Chat

During the holidays and all year long, millions of individuals and families who struggle against hunger are able to access healthy food with support from the federal nutrition programs. To celebrate the nation’s nutrition safety net, FRAC has created a seven-part “Remember This December” series that will highlight the impact of seven important federal nutrition programs.

This is the first installment of the series, which focuses on afterschool meals.

There are a variety of reasons for school meals debt, including a change in household income status, a misunderstanding of school meals procedures, or simply forgetting to refill the account. Whatever the case may be, however, school districts should ensure that communication about the debt is held with the parent or guardian — not the student. The bottom line is that there are solutions to resolve school meals debt without embarrassing children.

Winter weather has started hitting many northern states early this year, requiring households to allocate more of their resources for heating their homes. SNAP and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) are two of the resources that help low-income households afford to “heat and eat” during winter. Unfortunately, the Trump administration has proposed a rule that will make SNAP less responsive to those needs.

It is well-established that food insecurity contributes to poor health, poor disease management, higher health care utilization, and increased health care costs. This is especially true for people with special health care needs, such as cystic fibrosis.

CF, which affects an estimated 30,000 people in the U.S., is a genetic disorder that causes persistent lung infections and over time limits the ability to breathe. The condition results in damage to the lungs as well as complications for the digestive system and other organs. People living with CF have complex medical needs requiring specialized care and treatment, including consuming a diet high in calories. Living with CF can be very expensive due to high out-of-pocket costs, which can further complicate and compound the challenges that patients and their families face.

National participation in the Afterschool Nutrition Programs — which are key to closing the hunger gap that exists afterschool for many children across the country — continues to grow, according to a new FRAC report.