FRAC Chat

School districts, teachers, and students across the country are beginning to prepare for spring break even though snow still blankets the ground in many states. While many students welcome the break from classes, for many others spring break also means a break from the nutritious school meals and afterschool suppers and snacks they rely on to remain engaged, active, and healthy.

Fortunately, the Afterschool Meal Program, which is available through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), can provide meals at educational and enrichment programming sites after school and during weekends, school breaks, and holidays throughout the school year.

The 2019 National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference (AHPC) may be over, but the insights shared throughout the conference still feel fresh and resonant, especially as anti-hunger advocates across the nation continue to fight old and new threats to proven nutrition programs that address food insecurity, while looking to grow efforts to reduce hunger. Such insights were offered by the #hungerpc19 plenary speakers: Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE); the Honorable Stephen K. Benjamin; and Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, Ph.D., Diane Yentel, LaQuita Honeysucker, and Matt Knott.

Weren’t able to attend this year’s conference and experience the plenary lineup in person? No worries — we have you covered! See below for full-length videos of the 2019 AHPC plenary speakers.

Breakfast in the classroom helps overcome barriers of timing and convenience, and because it is offered free of charge to all AISD students, it eliminates the stigma associated with school breakfast being only for low-income children. This school year, 52 schools in the Austin Independent School District — including elementary, middle, and high schools — are offering breakfast in the classroom to make the meal more accessible for all students.

Now is the time of year to develop community eligibility outreach plans and start conversations with eligible school districts. Below is information to help ensure eligible school districts apply for community eligibility with their state agency by the June 30, 2019 deadline — which is quickly approaching!

National School Breakfast Week (NSBW) is a weeklong celebration of the nation’s School Breakfast Program, which provides more than 14.6 million children — five out of six of them low-income — a nutritious morning meal each day. This year’s NSBW takes place March 4–8, 2019, which means it is time for schools to start planning NSBW celebrations to raise awareness about the benefits of participating in the School Breakfast Program.