USDA's child nutrition programs help ensure that children receive nutritious meals and snacks that promote their health and educational readiness. The child nutrition programs are administered by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). Additional information about program eligibility requirements, benefits, and application processes can be obtained from FNS for meals in schools and childcare and meals in summer programs. Inquiries about these aspects of the programs can be directed to FNS through its Contact Us page.
Research conducted by USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) related to child nutrition programs focuses on the impact of the programs on diet and health outcomes, including the impact of policy changes. ERS reports and Amber Waves articles related to Child Nutrition programs are available on the ERS Analysis page. Each year, ERS publishes an overview report summarizing USDA Food and Nutrition Assistance Programs. The latest report is The Food and Nutrition Assistance Landscape: Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Report. In fiscal year 2024, a total of 9.3 billion meals were served through the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the Summer Food Service Program combined, at a cost of $28.2 billion.
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Participation in USDA’s child nutrition programs has been found to reduce food insecurity. To learn more, please see:
For more information on specific child nutrition programs, please see:
- National School Lunch Program
- School Breakfast Program
- Child and Adult Care Food Program
- Summer Food Service Program
All values and figures are based on data available as of December 2024 and may be subject to revision.
