Media Contact:
Jordan Baker
jbaker@frac.org
202-640-1118
WASHINGTON, December 10, 2025 – Afterschool Suppers: A Snapshot of Participation — October 2024 released today by the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), the nation’s leading anti-hunger organization, finds that too many children are missing out on receiving suppers and snacks through the Afterschool Nutrition Programs. Current participation levels remain below pre-pandemic levels.
The report measures the reach of the Afterschool Nutrition Programs, which include afterschool snacks through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and afterschool meals and snacks through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). The report calls for greater investments to ensure children are able to get the nutrition they need while attending afterschool programs that provide critical education supports, enrichment, mentoring, physical activity, and child care.
Key report findings:
- 1.26 million children received an afterschool supper on an average school day in October 2024.
- 1.24 million children received an afterschool snack, a decrease of 10,770 children from October 2023.
Just 1 child for every 16 children who received free or reduced-price school lunch in October 2024 was served by the Afterschool Supper Program.
44,911 sites served afterschool suppers and/or snacks in 2024, a decrease of 1,397 from 2023.
“Families are facing rising food costs, and many parents are working long hours just to get by,” said Crystal FitzSimons, president of FRAC. “The Afterschool Nutrition Programs help families stretch tight household budgets and ensure children get the nutrition and programming they need to learn and thrive. We must do everything in our power to connect more students to quality afterschool programs that offer afterschool suppers and snacks.”
FRAC set the goal of reaching 15 children with the Afterschool Supper Program for every 100 children participating in free or reduced-price school lunch, and calculates the shortfall in terms of the number of unserved children and the federal dollars lost in October 2024 in each state that is not meeting this goal. Only California and the District of Columbia reached FRAC’s goal for states.
If every state had served supper to 15 children for every 100 children from households with low incomes who participated in school lunch in October 2024, then more than 1.8 million additional children would have received a nutritious meal after school, and an additional $163.5 million in federal funding would have supported the provision of afterschool suppers in October 2024 alone.
To close the afterschool nutrition gap, FRAC recommends lowering the area eligibility threshold so more communities can participate in Afterschool Nutrition Programs, streamlining program administration to reduce duplicative burdens for schools and sponsors, and increasing federal funding for afterschool programs to expand capacity and sustainability.
“By pairing Congressional action with increased outreach, technical assistance, and sustained investment, states and communities can ensure that every child has access to nutritious meals and enrichment opportunities after the school day ends,” said FitzSimons.
Read the report for more recommendations.
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The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) improves the nutrition, health, and well-being of people struggling against poverty-related hunger in the United States through advocacy, partnerships, and by advancing bold and equitable policy solutions. To learn more, visit FRAC.org and follow us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky.