Whether your child is just starting school in kindergarten or is close to finishing up as a high school senior, one thing holds: They need proper nutrition.
Without it, functioning can be almost impossible, which is why the U.S. Department of Agriculture has stepped in with the following forms of food assistance for K-12 kids:
National School Lunch Program
Imagine going to school and seeing all of your friends enjoying lunch while you have nothing to eat. Kids from low-income families have the potential to experience this problem in real life, but thanks to the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), it doesn’t have to be a reality.
With the NSLP, kids who qualify can enjoy lunches that are nutritionally balanced every day. Even better, those lunches come at no cost or free, so their parents can keep more money in their pockets for other necessities.
School Breakfast Program
While getting free or affordable school lunches is great, nothing beats a healthy breakfast. After all, many claim that this AM meal is the most important of the day. Through the School Breakfast Program (SBP), qualifying kids can get this essential meal for free every morning before that first class bell rings.
Special Milk Program
Have you looked at the price of milk lately? It’s quite costly. And since it’s also quite essential for strong bones and muscles, milk is an item that you can’t easily skip over at the grocery store.
The Special Milk Program (SMP) offers milk to kids who attend childcare institutions or schools. It’s worth noting that you cannot participate in other forms of meal service assistance from the federal government to qualify for this program.
Child and Adult Care Food Program
Getting free or low-cost meals at school is critical for kids from low-income households. But what about those who attend other institutions too? For instance, places like emergency shelters, childcare centers, afterschool programs, and the like – is there something available for those kids? There sure is, and it’s called the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), which you can read more about here.
Summer Food Service Program
Just because the summer hits doesn’t mean your child-related expenses stop. Your kids still need to eat, and with the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), they can continue to do so with free meals and snacks that are guaranteed to be healthy.
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program
When you look around a grocery store, you may notice something: Junk food is cheap, while healthy food usually isn’t. Sure, you can fill up a shopping cart with cheap carbs that are void of nutrients, but what about fresh fruits and veggies your kids need to perform at their peak?
With the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP), the USDA helps kids get a taste of fresh produce that they may not get the opportunity to eat. This not only boosts kids’ nutrition, but it also helps to combat obesity that can lead to serious health problems later on.
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