As the District of Columbia. and Maryland enter a new fiscal year, families are facing significant changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) at a time when access to critical federal nutrition programs isunder growing pressure.
Earlier this month, the National Healthy School Meals for All Coalition, which FRAC convenes, hosted a virtual congressional briefing, Free Healthy School Meals for All: Nourishing Kids and Supporting Affordability for Families. More than 400 people attended the event to hear a Republican state legislator, a parent, a special education teacher, and a doctor share why providing school meals at no charge to all students is essential to strengthening household food security and helping children thrive.
School meal applications and household income forms have long been the method of connecting children to nutrition assistance and identifying the supports school districts need to function. The expansion of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) and the growing adoption of Healthy School Meals for All (HSMFA) policies have reduced the need for households to submit applications for free school meals. However, these forms remain an important tool for connecting families to additional nutrition benefits, such as the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program (Summer EBT), and for ensuring that schools receive critical education funding and other essential resources that support student success.