
Back to School 2026
School and afterschool meals help reduce hunger, support learning, and ease financial pressure on families. Visit FRAC’s Back to School hub to learn how these critical programs support children and families, and what you can do to protect them.

Policy Decisions Drive Dramatic Decline in SNAP Participation
The budget reconciliation law (H.R. 1) slashed SNAP, our nation’s first line of defense against hunger, by $187 billion and introduced harmful provisions. One year later, over 5 million people, including households with children, people with disabilities, older adults, and veterans, have lost access to the nutrition they need at a time when gas and grocery costs are skyrocketing.
FRAC is tracking the impact nationwide:
Take Action Today
Tell Your Senators: Support Families and Farmers, Restore Critical SNAP Funding
Urge Your Members of Congress to Cosponsor the Universal School Meals Program Act
Tell Congress to Stop the Reorganization of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service


Resources

Legislative Action Center
Take Action
Hunger & Poverty in America
Explore the Data
H.R. 1 SNAP Cuts Mitigation Hub
Tracking the Impact
Healthy School Meals for All
Learn More
Summer EBT Resource Center
Learn more
State-by-State CEP Fact Sheets by Congressional District
Learn More
News
FRAC Chat
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.
Recent Publications & Data
See More Resources- Fact Sheet
Healthy School Meals for All policies have expanded access to free school meals for millions of children. At the same time, school meal applications remain an important source of data that helps connect families to benefits and supports funding for schools and communities. Learn why applications matter for schools and families in FRAC’s new resource.
Read the fact sheet - Fact Sheet
Is hunger hiding in your classroom? This resource from FRAC and the American Federation of Teachers helps educators close the gap by connecting students to the federal nutrition programs.
Read the fact sheet - Fact Sheet
SNAP is a critical support for older adults, but SNAP churn — when households temporarily lose benefits and reapply within 90 to 120 days — contributes to the SNAP gap among this population. Explore FRAC and AARP Foundation’s new SNAP Churn fact sheets to learn how this proven federal nutrition program helps eligible older adults afford groceries and discover ways to reduce churn.
Explore the fact sheets - Fact Sheet
With the implementation of the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Public
Read more
Charge Ground of Inadmissibility final rule beginning September 18, 2026, anti-hunger
and nutrition stakeholders have important roles to play in explaining how federal
nutrition programs interact with public charge and in referring people to reliable legal
resources.


