Breakfast in the Classroom
FRAC’s analysis of Gallup-Healthways survey data shows 19.2% of households with children struggled against food hardship in 2015
Early in May, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (USDA-FNS) finalized their updates to the SNAP retailer stocking standards. The new rule increases the required number of varieties in each food category, and the number of perishable items stores must carry to be eligible as SNAP vendors. These changes will primarily impact small stores, including bodegas and convenience stores, small grocery stores, and combination stores (stores that sell general goods, but also carry some food, like dollar stores), which make up about 70 percent of all SNAP retailers.
FRAC’s recently released Large School District report reveals that despite growing pressures, school nutrition professionals around the country continue to employ best practices to increase children’s access to nutritious school meals. In February 2026, FRAC surveyed 96 large school districts across 37 states and the District of Columbia on school meals operations and participation. Findings show that even in the face of challenges, including high food and labor costs, school nutrition departments continue to do what they do best: innovate, adapt, and put children’s health and well-being first.
The Senate now faces a defining choice. The House Farm Bill failed to meet the economic moment. It ignored the mounting pressures on American families, state governments, and local economies, while doing nothing to repair the most severe cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in its history. The Senate must not repeat that mistake.