Resource Library

Too many children are missing out on afterschool snacks and suppers offered by the Afterschool Nutrition Programs. Learn more in FRAC’s report, Afterschool Suppers: A Snapshot of Participation – October 2023.

Under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970, roles involving eligibility determination and certification must be performed by merit-based employees – nonpartisan public service employees who receive extensive training and develop the deep knowledge necessary to guide SNAP applicants, conduct SNAP certification interviews, and make final decisions on SNAP eligibility and benefits. Learn why Congress should continue to uphold the merit system in FRAC’s fact sheet, SNAP Merit Staff Preserve Program Integrity. 

On September 18, 2024, FRAC Interim President Crystal FitzSimons testified in front of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research. The hearing, entitled “Keeping Kids Learning in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program,” is available to watch on the committee webpage. Read FRAC’s written testimony. 

FRAC’s Guide to Federal Nutrition Programs During Disasters explains how federal nutrition programs work during disasters and what advocates, elected officials, and programs service providers can do to help meet nutrition needs before, during, and after a disaster.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps) is a critical program that provides people with low incomes, including women, LGBTQIA+ people, and their families with essential food assistance. SNAP helps ensure that women and LGBTQIA+ people can meet their basic needs and supports their well-being. But while SNAP plays a crucial role in alleviating food insufficiency for women and families, currently, there are barriers that prevent food-insecure women, especially those facing multiple forms of discrimination, from fully accessing and benefiting from SNAP. Learn more in FRAC’s updated 2024 research brief with the National Women’s Law Center, Gender and Racial Justice in SNAP.

FRAC’s Hunger Doesn’t Take a Vacation: Summer Nutrition Status Report reveals a drop in the number of children receiving nutrition over the summer following the loss of pandemic-era waivers. Download the report to learn more. 

A significant number of anti-hunger organizations across the U.S. that were surveyed about partnering with health care providers to connect patients to federal nutrition programs emphasized the need for additional investments to reach more patients with health–promoting programs. Learn more in FRAC’s latest report, Food as Medicine Survey Findings: How Anti-Hunger Organizations Partner With Health Care Providers to Address Food Insecurity.

Efforts by health care providers to address food insecurity continue to grow. FRAC’s new research brief underscores the importance of connecting patients to SNAP, WIC, and other federal nutrition programs as the foundational intervention to address food insecurity in health care settings;
provides key steps that health care providers can take to connect patients to federal nutrition programs; and synthesizes research on food insecurity interventions in health care settings that featured connecting patients to SNAP and WIC. Learn more in Connecting Patients to SNAP and WIC in Health Care Settings.

The federal nutrition programs are a critical support for tens of millions of households — including individuals of all ages — by helping them put food on the table during times of need. Investing in hunger prevention and relief makes good fiscal sense. Hunger increases health care costs, lowers worker productivity, harms children’s development, and diminishes students’ educational attainment. These negative impacts can be minimized with robust funding and support for the federal nutrition programs. Use this Fiscal Year 2025 Budget and Appropriations leave behind in your advocacy. 

School meals play an important role in reducing childhood hunger, supporting good nutrition, and ensuring that students are hunger-free and ready to get the most out of their school day. Use this 2024 Healthy School Meals for All leave behind in your advocacy. 

An expanded and inclusive CTC is a transformational policy for addressing hunger among families with children.3 With the tax credit improvements in the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act, Congress has a unique opportunity to address hunger among households with children and improve the nutrition, health, and well-being of millions in our nation. Use this 2024 Leave Behind in your advocacy. 

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the cornerstone of the nation’s nutrition and food security safety net, helping to put food on the table for over 41 million participants each month. Congress must protect the Thrifty Food Plan and other SNAP provisions from any cuts. Use this 2024 Leave Behind in your advocacy. 

Is your state participating in Summer EBT this summer? Find out by using FRAC’s new map of state Summer EBT participation.

Starting in Summer 2024, eligible families will receive money on an EBT card to purchase groceries at approved stores during the summer months through the new, permanent, federal Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer EBT) Program. 37 states, Washington DC, all US territories, and 3 Tribes will be participating in 2024. Discover the research behind Summer EBT in FRAC’s new fact sheet. 

This summer, 37 states, the District of Columbia, all five U.S. territories, and three Tribes, will participate in the new nationwide Summer EBT Program. Families will receive $120 in federally funded grocery benefits on an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card for each school-age child who is eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. By implementing the program, these states, territories, and Tribes, are helping to reduce summer hunger, so children can return to school well-nourished and ready to learn. Dive into the data on Summer EBT in FRAC’s new 2024 Program Impact fact sheet.