USDA is allowing more students around the country to get free meals in school.
The department is expanding the community eligibility provision that allows all kids in a school to get free meals if a certain number of kids are eligible based on their family's income. Previously, at least 40% of the students had to be from households participating in specific income-based federal assistance programs for all kids to get free meals. A new rule published Tuesday lowers that threshold to 25%.
The change will provide approximately 3,000 additional school districts in economically disadvantaged regions with the opportunity to offer free breakfast and lunch to all enrolled students.
The CEP is a simplified meal service method enabling schools to offer free meals to all students without requiring individual application. Funding relies on a formula utilizing SNAP and other program data, supplemented by local or state contributions to cover costs exceeding federal support.
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The change “comes as we approach the one-year anniversary of the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, where the Biden-Harris Administration promised to advance a pathway to healthy school meals for all students,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in a news release.
“USDA has taken an important step toward fulfilling that promise by expanding access to CEP. Increasing access to free, healthy school breakfast and lunch will decrease childhood hunger, improve child health and student readiness, and put our nation on the path to better nutrition and wellness.”
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