Resource Library

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act authorizes all of the federal child nutrition programs.
The child nutrition programs reach millions of children each day and improve educational achievement,
economic security, nutrition, and health. Although most of the programs are permanently authorized, about every five years, Congress reviews the laws governing these programs through the reauthorization process. 

During the pandemic, the Pandemic EBT program has been a vital nutrition resource for families whose children lost access to free or reduced-price school meals due to school closures. This gap extends to the summer as well. With the limited reach of the Summer Nutrition Programs, there is a need for a complementary program to provide EBT benefits during the summer. This storybook gives a brief background of Pandemic EBT and Summer EBT, what actions are needed to make a Summer EBT program permanent, and, as told in the words of people who benefit from federal nutrition assistance, why this is so important.

Congress has an important opportunity in 2021 to improve the health of millions of our nation’s children by passing a strong reauthorization bill that protects and strengthens the child nutrition programs. These successful, cost-effective federal nutrition programs play a critical role in helping children in low-income families get access to child care, as well as to educational and enrichment activities, while improving their overall nutrition, health, development, and academic achievement.

Even before COVID-19, more than 35 million people in the United States were living in households experiencing food insecurity. As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, Feeding America estimates that the number of individuals in food insecure households has risen to more than 45 million. COVID-19’s harsh impact on the economy threatens to persist for years.

Summary of Amendments Submitted to the Rules Committee for the American Rescue Plan.

Curious about Budget Reconciliation? Trying to learn more about the process and steps to look out for? Explore this three-page report to help you prepare for the Budget Reconciliation process.

The Pandemic Child Hunger Prevention Act would provide free breakfast and lunch to all students attending schools that participate in the School Breakfast Program (SBP) and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) during the 2020–2021 school year.

Food insecurity, and its root cause, poverty, do not discriminate: they harm individuals, families, and communities across the U.S., regardless of demographics. One group that rarely receives attention for its alarmingly high levels of food insecurity and poverty is Asian Pacific American (APA). This oversight is detrimental for APA people and the nation as a whole.

During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it is crucial to preserve access to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food benefits, nutrition and breastfeeding support, and referrals to services. The COVID-19 virus is negatively impacting public health and the American economy, creating significant challenges for low-income people. This resource outlines key actions that WIC, advocates, partner organizations, and State and local policymakers can take to help preserve access to WIC during this pandemic.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently issued a proposed rule that would roll back important aspects of the current school meal nutrition standards and significantly unravel the progress made under the Healthy, hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.

Congress has an important opportunity in 2020 to improve the health of millions of our nation’s children by passing a strong reauthorization that protects and strengthens the child nutrition programs. These successful, cost-effective federal nutrition programs play a critical role in helping children in low=income families achieve access to child care, education, and enrichment activities while improving overall nutrition, health, development, and academic achievement.

Update for Anti-Hunger and Nutrition Stakeholders: Unpacking the Three Public Charge Rules seeks to provide anti-hunger and nutrition stakeholders with key updates on the status of public charge rules from three federal agencies — Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, and Department of Justice — that intersect with federal nutrition programs, particularly the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and actions that stakeholders can take to assist immigrants.

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.

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.