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This report measures the reach of breakfast through the Summer Nutrition Programs in July 2018, nationally and in each state. It is a companion piece to FRAC’s Hunger Doesn’t Take a Vacation: Summer Nutrition Status Report, which focuses on summer lunch participation.

Increasing participation in the Afterschool Meal Program requires proactive planning and partnership. Developing a strong and cohesive outreach plan is an important way to increase participation, and the summer months are the perfect time to recruit afterschool sites, ensure existing sites will be returning, engage new partners, and increase awareness. Detailed below are things to consider when developing an afterschool meals outreach plan, as well as best practices shared by Florida Impact, Children’s Hunger Alliance, and the City of Seattle.

Each year, the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) analyzes participation data in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). FRAC uses U.S. Department of Agriculture data to develop a picture of participation trends in the U.S as a whole, each of the 50 states, and the District of Columbia. This report discusses changes in the number of CACFP child care centers and family child care homes over the past 20 years from fiscal year (FY) 1998 to 2018, the more recent changes from FY 2017 to FY 2018, and the overall increase in average daily attendance.

This annual analysis shows Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) participation data for child care centers and family child care homes for the U.S. and for each state and the District of Columbia. This report includes a series of graphs and tables that show key findings for fiscal year 2018.

The Summer Nutrition Programs have struggled to meet the need, serving just one child summer lunch for every seven low-income children who participated in school lunch during the regular school year. They are important programs, but their reach is falling far too short of meeting the need.

State agencies should adopt processes to allow for telephonic signatures for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applications and recertifications for use by state agency staff and third-party partners, such as community-based organizations that are contracted to help clients apply or recertify for SNAP.

Work with the state agency to create a standard medical deduction (SMD) to simplify the collection of medical expense information from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants who are elderly (60+) or are non-elderly and living with disabilities. Doing so requires the state SNAP agency to request a demonstration waiver — from U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (USDA-FNS) — to develop an SMD in lieu of calculating actual medical expenses.

State agencies and their community nonprofit and local government partners can receive matching federal funds to create and implement Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) outreach and application assistance plans. The federal funds cover up to 50 percent of the cost of approved activities. State SNAP agencies must submit plans for U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service’s (USDA-FNS) approval.

From the 2017–2018 school year to the 2018–2019 school year, participation in the Community Eligibility Provision grew by 14 percent. Over 13.6 million children in 28,614 schools and 4,698 school districts are participating and have access to breakfast and lunch at no charge each school day through community eligibility. This report provides an analysis of community eligibility implementation – nationally and for each state and the District of Columbia.

Stakeholders can work with the state SNAP agency to ensure that eligible older adults (age 60 and older) and people with disabilities can deduct from income all allowable unreimbursed medical expenses when calculating Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Advocates should educate older adults and people with disabilities — and the families and organizations that support them — about allowable medical expense deductions that can result in a more adequate and accurate SNAP benefit that reflects the real value of out-of-pocket medical expenses.

States can request a SNAP waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to implement the Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP) for households with seniors and/or people with disabilities that have no earned income. ESAP allows states to streamline the application and recertification process, helping more seniors (age 60 and older) and people with disabilities benefit from SNAP.

Poverty and food insecurity have detrimental impacts on infant, child, and maternal health and well-being in both the short and long terms. One critical strategy to address these issues is connecting vulnerable families to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Decades of research have demonstrated the effectiveness of WIC in reducing food insecurity, and improving health, nutrition, development, and well-being.

WIC is a Critical Economic, Nutrition, and Health Support for Children and Families provides background information on WIC; briefly summarizes the harmful impacts of poverty and food insecurity; and highlights research demonstrating the effective role of WIC in improving food and economic security, dietary intake, weight outcomes, health, and learning.

The WIC food packages were revised in 2007 to align the authorized food with the latest nutrition science and guidance. The majority of WIC participants are satisfied with the revised food packages in terms of the new foods offered and changes in the amounts of food. As summarized in this brief, Impact of the Revised WIC Food Packages on Nutrition Outcomes and the Retail Food Environment, research shows that the revised WIC food packages have favorable impacts on dietary intake, breastfeeding outcomes, and obesity rates. In addition, also as summarized in this brief, studies suggest an important role for WIC in improving neighborhood food environments, which benefits both WIC participants and non-participants.

Making WIC Work Better features a comprehensive set of recommendations to overcome the barriers that have led to a downward trend in participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

FRAC has developed a communications toolkit that promotes strategies to increase participation in WIC. The toolkit includes a national news release, talking points, videos, sample social media, and graphics.