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The Access to Healthy Food for Young Children Act of 2021, introduced by Senator Robert Casey (D-PA), would strengthen and expand the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). The bill proposes many positive changes that would yield myriad benefits to the children and families that depend on CACFP for the healthy meals and snacks that the program provides. Includes information on the What is the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and specific information on what the bill proposes.

State agencies, sponsors, advocates and other key stakeholders can use FRAC’s worksheet to evaluate current state policies, and identify opportunities for reducing paperwork requirements and barriers to participation.

Recent FRAC CACFP Comment Letters: Regulatory and Administrative Actions, Nutrition Policy Comment Letters (CACFP Related)

State Profiles of Infants and Toddlers – Hunger, Poverty, Health, and the Federal Nutrition Programs

This interactive map provides household food insecurity rates, by state, on average over 2016-2018. Scroll over a state to view the percent of households struggling with food insecurity or very low food security. States with at least 33% of their population living in rural areas are indicated with a triangle pattern.

This interactive map provides household food insecurity rates, by state, on average over 2016-2018.

The No Shame at School Act of 2022 (S. 4602/H.R. 8477), introduced by Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN), would create a multifaceted approach to address school meals debt that would provide protections for students and families, support school nutrition finances, and help ensure that children who are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals are certified to receive them.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) serves as the first line of defense against hunger. The Trump administration’s proposed rule – Revision of Categorical Eligibility in SNAP – would take away SNAP’s critical food assistance from 3 million people who are struggling to make ends meet, and could prevent 500,000 children from receiving healthy school meals.

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The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) urges Congress to enact legislation that supports and strengthens program access and participation by underserved children and communities; ensures nutrition quality; and simplifies program administration and operation. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of the federal child nutrition programs, and a number of policy improvements that were made during COVID-19 should be implemented permanently by Congress. Legislation should also maintain and build upon the critical gains made in the last child nutrition reauthorization. In order to achieve these goals, FRAC asks Congress to make the following improvements to the child nutrition programs.

The Summer Meals Act of 2021 (S. 1170 / H.R. 783), introduced by Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Representatives Don Young (R-AK) and Rick Larsen (D-WA), would increase the reach of the Summer Nutrition Programs. The Summer Nutrition Programs help close the summer nutrition gap and support educational and enrichment programs that keep children learning, engaged, and safe when school is out.

The Stop Child Summer Hunger Act of 2019 (S. 1941 / H.R. 3378), introduced by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Representative Susan Davis (D-CA), would provide low-income families with children a Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card to purchase food. This bill provides additional support for families with children during the summer months and does not replace the existing Summer Nutrition Programs.

Community roundtable discussions are effective and valuable tools to connect local advocates and stakeholders with their Members of Congress during congressional recesses and whenever Members are home. Combining a community roundtable with a site visit offers a unique way for Members to see firsthand the importance of programs, like summer meals, followed by a roundtable discussion that provides a diverse group of advocates and stakeholders a forum to engage.

The upcoming Child Nutrition Reauthorization offers Congress the opportunity to address school meals debt, which is a common problem for school districts across the country. School meals debt can occur when students who are not certified to receive free school meals arrive in the cafeteria without cash in hand or in their school meals account to pay for their meals or for the “reduced-price” copayment.

Interactive maps and tables providing state-by-state data on participation in breakfast and lunch service through the Summer Nutrition Programs.

This primer features information on how to support opportunities to register people to vote through public assistance agencies.