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THE PROBLEM.

33+

Million people in America struggled against hunger in 2021 according to USDA
1 in 6

Households with children struggled to buy enough food for their families in 2021 according to USDA
10

Reasons why you should support healthy school meals. Learn more.
63%

of voters nationwide support legislation that would make free school meals permanently available to all students (according to FRAC public opinion polling).

We can’t turn back now.

To keep child hunger at bay during the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued waivers to allow schools to provide meals at no charge to all students, no matter their household income. Without these waivers, the alarming spikes in childhood hunger caused by the fallout of COVID-19 would have been even worse.

But the waiver authorizing free school meals for all students expired in June 2022.

The pandemic served as a valuable lesson on the critical importance of providing healthy meals to all students. We can’t let that lesson be forgotten.

It’s time to move forward, not turn back.

THE SOLUTION.

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.

We need to continue building on what we know works in order to fuel children’s health and learning.

Tell Congress hungry children can’t wait.

Healthy School Meals for All is also critical for advancing racial equity and justice, ensuring Black, Indigenous and Latinx students get the nutrition they need to support their education and beyond.

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By providing healthy school meals for all students, we can eliminate school meal debt and the lunch shaming that can stem from it.

Benefits of Healthy School Meals for All

Children can’t learn on an empty stomach and school meals are just as important to students’ academic success as textbooks and transportation. Free school meals for all students leads to many benefits for students, families and school staff.

Learn More

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The Impact of Healthy School Meals for All

Hear from school food service professionals, parents, and teachers on the wide-ranging impacts of Healthy School Meals for All policies.

GET INVOLVED.

Healthy school meals for all students would be a game changer. Encourage your legislators to endorse the Universal School Meals Program Act of 2023. This bill would ensure that all children have access to nutritious meals in order to learn and thrive year-round as we recover from the pandemic and beyond.

CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATOR

TELL YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

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BUILDING MOMENTUM.

Across the U.S., parents, teachers, students, doctors, nurses, dieticians, policymakers and many others are raising their hand in support of Healthy School Meals for All. California, Maine, Colorado, Minnesota, New Mexico, Vermont, Michigan and Massachusetts have passed Healthy School Meals for All policies. Additionally, Nevada is putting pandemic funds to good use by offering one more year of free school meals to all students during the 2023-2024 school year. Many other states are considering similar legislation. Join us in being part of the solution!

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State Healthy School Meals for All Campaigns

Anti-hunger, education, and child advocates across the country are calling for their state to implement Healthy School Meals for All. Check out their campaign websites here.

Passed! Active

California Connecticut

Colorado Maryland

Maine New Jersey

Massachusetts New York

Minnesota North Carolina

Vermont Ohio

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Washington, D.C.

Wisconsin

National Partners

FRAC is proud to convene the National Healthy School Meals for All Coalition, a diverse group of national anti-hunger, education, health, school nutrition, and child advocacy organizations dedicated to building support for and passing nationwide free Healthy School Meals for All legislation. Read the Coalition Statement of Support.

The Coalition supports the following legislation:

Universal School Meals Programs Act (S.1568/H.R.3204)
School Meals Expansion Act (H.R.2567)
No Hungry Kids in School Act (H.R.3112)
Expanding Access to School Meals Act (H.R.3113)

Implementation

Eight states are currently implementing Healthy School Meals for All policies, offering a free breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of household income. They include California, Maine, Colorado, Minnesota, New Mexico, Vermont, Michigan and Massachusetts. Now that students in those states have access to healthy meals to support their success at schools, advocates are ensuring that the School Nutrition Programs operate as seamlessly as possible. Check out our resources here to learn more about student participation rates, service models, collecting household income information and more in states that have Healthy School Meals for All.

News, Videos & Resources

National School Lunch Week Highlights the Powerful Role That School Meals Play

Passed!	Active

California	Connecticut
Colorado	Maryland
Maine	New Jersey
Massachusetts	New York
Minnesota	North Carolina
Vermont	Ohio
	Pennsylvania
	Rhode Island
	Washington, D.C.
	Wisconsin

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