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.
This week begins Hispanic Heritage Month, first established in 1968 under President Lyndon Johnson. It was extended in 1988 to span from September 15 to October 15, a period that celebrates the independence of numerous Latin American countries from Spanish colonial rule.
The budget reconciliation law, H.R. 1, enacted in July 2025, made harmful changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), including expanding who is subject to a three-month time limit. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expected to publish a proposed rule codifying the changes to work requirements for time-limited SNAP recipients.
