Nutrition Programs

FL Unit 2Government Nutrition

Nutrition Programs

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day. The program was established under the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946.

National School Lunch Program

School districts and independent schools that choose to take part in the lunch program get cash subsidies and USDA foods from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for each meal they serve. In return, they must serve lunches that meet Federal requirements, and they must offer free or reduced price lunches to eligible children. School food authorities can also be reimbursed for snacks served to children through age 18 in afterschool educational or enrichment programs.

Who Participates?

School lunches must meet the applicable recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommend that no more than 30 percent of an individual's calories come from fat, and less than 10 percent from saturated fat. Regulations also establish a standard for school lunches to provide one‐third of the Recommended Dietary Allowances of protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, calcium, and calories. School lunches must meet Federal nutrition requirements, but decisions about what specific foods to serve and how they are prepared are made by local school food authorities.

Nutritional Requirements

Any child at a participating school may purchase a meal through the National School Lunch Program. Children from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the poverty level are eligible for free meals. Those with incomes between 130 percent and 185 percent of the poverty level are eligible for reduced‐price meals, for which students can be charged no more than 40 cents. (For the period July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2012, 130 percent of the poverty level is $29,055 for a family of four; 185 percent is $41,348.)

Who qualifies?

Children from families with incomes over 185 percent of poverty pay a full price, though their meals are still subsidized to some extent. Local school food authorities set their own prices for full‐price (paid) meals, but must operate their meal services as non‐profit programs.

Afterschool snacks are provided to children on the same income eligibility basis as school meals. However, programs that operate in areas where at least 50 percent of students are eligible for free or reduced‐price meals may serve all their snacks for free.

Qualification Cont.’

Most of the support USDA provides to schools in the National School Lunch Program comes in the form of a cash reimbursement for each meal served. The current (July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012) basic cash reimbursement rates if school food authorities served less than 60% free and reduced price lunches during the second preceding school year are:

Free lunches: Reduced-price lunches: Paid lunches: $2.77 $2.37 $0.26

Free snacks: Reduced-price snacks: Paid snacks: $0.76 $0.38 $0.07

Higher reimbursement rates are in effect for Alaska and Hawaii, and for schools with high percentages of low‐income students. For the latest reimbursement rates visit FNS website at www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Governance/notices/naps/NAPs.htm

School Reimbursement

In addition to cash reimbursements, schools are entitled by law to receive USDA foods, called "entitlement" foods, at a value of 22.25 cents for each meal served in Fiscal Year 2011‐2012. Schools can also get "bonus" USDA foods as they are available from surplus agricultural stocks.

Through Team Nutrition USDA provides schools with technical training and assistance to help school food service staffs prepare healthful meals, and with nutrition education to help children understand the link between diet and health.

USDA Foods

States select entitlement foods for their schools from a list of various foods purchased by USDA and offered through the school lunch program. Bonus foods are offered only as they become available through agricultural surplus. The variety of both entitlement and bonus USDA foods schools can get from USDA depends on quantities available and market prices.

A very successful project between USDA and the Department of Defense (DoD) has helped provide schools with fresh produce purchased through DoD. USDA has also worked with schools to help promote connections with local small farmers who may be able to provide fresh produce.

What types of foods?

In 1946, the National School Lunch Act created the modern school lunch program, though USDA had provided funds and food to schools for many years prior to 1946. About 7.1 million children were participating in the National School Lunch Program by the end of its first year, 1946‐47. By 1970, 22 million children were participating, and by 1980 the figure was nearly 27 million. In 1990, over 24 million children ate school lunch every day. In Fiscal Year 2010, more than 31.7 million children each day got their lunch through the National School Lunch Program. Since the modern program began, more than 219 billion lunches have been served.

How many have been served?

The National School Lunch Program cost $10.8 billion in FY 2010. By comparison, the lunch program's total cost in 1947 was $70 million; in 1950, $119.7 million; in 1960, $225.8 million; in 1970, $565.5 million; in 1980, $3.2 billion; in 1990, $3.7 billion; and in 2000, 6.1 billion.

How much does the program cost?

For information on the operation of the National School Lunch Program and all the Child

Nutrition Programs, contact the State agency in your state that is responsible for the administration of the programs. A listing of all our State agencies may be found on our web site at www.fns.usda.gov/cnd, select “Contact Us”, then select “Child Nutrition Programs.”

You may also contact us through the Office of Public Affairs at 703‐305‐2281, or by mail at 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 926, Alexandria, Virginia 22302.

Want to Learn More

Founded in 1979, the Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB) currently distributes nearly two million pounds of food and other donated grocery items each month to more than 700 nonprofit partner agencies in 38 counties in Metro Atlanta and North Georgia.

ACFB supports a wide range of people in need, from children to the working poor. Food pantries, community kitchens, childcare centers, night shelters and senior centers are among the agencies that receive product from the Food Bank and provide food and other critical resources for low-income Georgians who suffer from hunger and food insecurity. The Food Bank also operates several community projects to aid our agencies in community building, technical assistance and advocacy efforts.

The Food Bank began as an emergency food provider in the basement of the St. Luke's Episcopal Church in downtown Atlanta. Today the organization has become a fixture in the community with 129,600 square feet of warehouse space, distributing more than 20 million pounds of food each year.

History

ACFB supports a wide range of people in need, from children to the working poor. Food pantries, community kitchens, childcare centers, night shelters and senior centers are among the agencies that receive product from the Food Bank and provide food and other critical resources for low-income Georgians who suffer from hunger and food insecurity. The Food Bank also operates several community projects to aid our agencies in community building, technical assistance and advocacy efforts.

Who do they serve?

We rely on over 15,000 volunteers every year to fulfill our mission. Inspect and pack food, work in community gardens, sort school supplies, lend office assistance or help at special events. Click here to see a current listing of the most needed volunteer openings.

Get Involved

If you work in the food, restaurant or hospitality industry, please consider donating your overstocked, short-dated or unused food. We also invite businesses, schools and organizations to conduct food drives.

Food Donations

Contact: United Way Atlanta 211 First Call for Help.

The Food Bank does not provide direct aid, but rather works in cooperation with a network of community based nonprofit partner agencies that serve individuals and families in need.

In addition, if someone is in need of food assistance, he/she might also require other community services that neither we nor our partner agencies provide.

In order to provide the best and most comprehensive service for our neighbors in need of assistance, we work in cooperation with a network of partner agencies and the United Way. If you are hungry or otherwise in need of assistance, please call United Way's 211 "First Call for Help" (Dial 2-1-1 or, if you are outside metro Atlanta, call 404.614.1000) for a listing of organizations in your area.

Getting Help

Provide hot mealsShowers, beds and changes of clothes

depending on the type of shelter they have to offer.

Usually non-profit or church organizations that offer these.

Soup Kitchen

USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program plays a vital role in improving the quality of day care and making it more affordable for many low-income families.  Each day, 3.2 million children receive nutritious meals and snacks through CACFP. The program also provides meals and snacks to 112,000 adults who receive care in nonresidential adult day care centers. CACFP reaches even further to provide meals to children residing in emergency shelters, and snacks and suppers to youths participating in eligible afterschool care programs.

Child & Adult Care Food Program

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers CACFP through grants to States.  The program is administered within most States by the State educational agency. In a few States it is administered by an alternate agency, such as the State health or social services department.  The child care component and the adult day care component of CACFP may be administered by different agencies within a State, at the discretion of the Governor.

Independent centers and sponsoring organizations enter into agreements with their administering State agencies to assume administrative and financial responsibility for CACFP operations. CACFP serves nutritious meals and snacks to eligible children and adults who are enrolled for care at participating child care centers, day care homes, and adult day care centers. CACFP also provides meals and snacks to children and youth who participate in afterschool care programs or reside in emergency shelters.

Program Administration

Eligible public or private nonprofit child care centers, outside-school-hours care centers, Head Start programs, and other institutions which are licensed or approved to provide day care services may participate in CACFP, independently or as sponsored centers.  For profit centers must receive title XX funds for at least 25 percent of enrolled children or licensed capacity (which ever is less) or at least 25 percent of the children in care must be eligible for free and reduced price meals.  Meals served to children are reimbursed at rates based upon a child’s eligibility for free, reduced price, or paid meals.

Child Care Centers

A family or group day care home must sign an agreement with a sponsoring organization to participate in CACFP.  Day care homes must be licensed or approved to provide day care services.  Reimbursement for meals served in day care homes is based upon eligibility for tier I rates (which targets higher levels of reimbursement to low-income areas, providers, or children) or lower tier II rates.

Day Care Homes

Community-based programs that offer enrichment activities for at-risk children and youth, 18 and under, after the regular school day ends, can provide free meals and snacks through CACFP. Programs must be offered in areas where at least 50 percent of the children are eligible for free and reduced price meals based upon school data. 

“At-Risk” After School Programs

SNAP (formerly the Food Stamp Program) puts healthy food within reach for 28 million people each month via an EBT card used to purchase food at most grocery stores. Through nutrition education partners, SNAP helps clients learn to make healthy eating and active lifestyle choices.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

The new SNAP Retailer Locator finds stores that welcome SNAP benefits. It is easy to use. Click on Retailer Locator link. Enter a street address, city and State, or zip code. A map of the closest approved stores will appear. Pick a store and use SNAP benefits there to put healthy food on the table.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)