The National School Lunch Program

1
The National School Lunch Program

• United States Code
• TITLE 42 - THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
• CHAPTER 13 - SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAMS

2
What is it?

• The National School Lunch Program is a federally
  assisted meal program operating in more than
  99,800 public and non-profit private schools and
  residential child care institutions. It provides
  nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches
  to more than 26 million children each school day.

3
History

• an investigation into the health of young men
  rejected in the World War II draft showed a
  connection between physical deficiencies and
  childhood malnutrition.
• Congress enacted the 1946 National School Lunch
  Act as a "measure of national security, to
  safeguard the health and well-being of the
  Nation's children."
• In 1998, Congress expanded to include cash
  reimbursement for snacks served in after school
  educational programs.

4
Benefits

• provides per meal cash reimbursements to schools
  as an entitlement to provide nutritious meals to
  children.
• provides school children with one-third or more
  of their Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for
  key nutrients.
• required to enact a local school wellness policy,
  a new opportunity to address obesity and promote
  healthy eating and physical activity through
  changes in school environments.
• Provision 2 is an option that enables them to
  provide free meals to all of their students while
  reducing paperwork and administrative costs.

5
Eligibility

• All public and non-profit private schools
  (regardless of tuition) and all Residential Child
  Care Institutions (RCCIs) can participate in the
  National School Lunch Program.
• All students in these schools may participate in
  the lunch program. However, household income
  determines whether they receive free meals,
  reduced price meals, or "paid" meals
• For children at participating schools there are
  two ways to qualify
• If a household currently receives Food Stamps,
  TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families),
  or participates in the Food Distribution Program
  on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) the children in
  that household are eligible for free school meals
  for as long as the family receives these other
  benefits.
• If a household's total income is below a certain
  amount. To receive free meals, household income
  must fall below 130 percent of poverty. For
  reduced-price meals, household income must be
  between 130 and 185 percent of the federal
  poverty level.
• "direct certification -to qualify children for
  free meals without requiring the family to submit
  an application.
• In the 2007-08 school year, districts with over
  10,000 students will be required to directly
  certify food stamp students for free school
  meals.

6
Reimbursements

• 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.

• 2006-7 reimbursements
• Free 2.40
• Reduced 2.00
• Paid .23

• Higher reimbursement rates are in effect for
  Alaska and Hawaii, and for some schools with high
  percentages of low-income children.
• For schools where 60 percent of lunches were
  served free or reduced price, an additional .02
  reimbursement is given for each free, reduced
  price, or paid meal served.

7
Other Support

• schools may receive commodity
• foods or "entitlement" foods, at
• 17.25 cents for each meal served.
• "bonus" commodities are available from surplus
  agricultural stocks.
• 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.

8
Types of foods

• States select entitlement foods for their
  schools from a list of various foods purchased by
  USDA and offered through the school lunch
  program.
• USDA and the Department of Defense (DoD) has
  helped provide schools with fresh produce
  purchased through DoD.

9
Program Costs

• In 1947 cost was 70 million
• 1950 cost was 119.7 million
• 1960 cost was 225.8 million
• 1970 cost was 565.5 million
• 1975 cost was 1.7 billion
• 1980 cost was 3.2 billion
• 1985 cost was 3.4 billion
• 1990 cost was 3.7 billion
• 2003 cost was 7.1 billion

10
School Breakfast Programs

• Established in 1966, the School Breakfast Program
  purpose is to make breakfast available in schools
  for students who for various reasons come to
  school without an adequate breakfast and to
  increase the number of school breakfast programs.
  
• any public or private nonprofit school or
  licensed residential child care institution is
  eligible to benefit from the School Breakfast
  Program.
• School districts and residential child care
  institutions may receive reimbursement for
  breakfasts and lunches served to enrolled
  students at predetermined rates established for
  free, reduced-price, or paid meals.

11
After School Snack Program

• A qualifying after-school program located in an
  attendance area of a school site in which
• at least 50 percent of the enrolled students are
  certified for free or reduced-price
• meals may receive reimbursement for snacks served
  to students at the free rate.

12
Special Milk Program

• In 1954, the Special Milk Program was implemented
  to encourage fluid milk consumption by selling
  milk to students at the lowest possible price and
  serving milk free to students determined to be
  eligible.
• In 1981 to 1986, this program was available only
  to schools and nonprofit child care institutions
  not participating in the National School Lunch
  Program and/or School Breakfast Program.
• In 1986, Public Law 99-661 expanded the Special
  Milk Program were extended to preprimary class
  students who do not have access to the breakfast
  and/or lunch program because of their half-day
  schedules.
• Qualifications for reimbursments
• Serve milk free to students qualifying according
  to family income.
• Serve milk at a set price to all students.
• Serve milk free to all students.

13
Summer Food Service Program

• Initiated in 1968, The Summer Food Service
  Program (SFSP) is a result of increased awareness
  of the need for proper nutrition throughout the
  entire year.
• This program continues to provide nutritious
  meals to children during the months when most
  schools are closed.
• limited to public or private nonprofit school
  food authorities public or private nonprofit
  residential camps state, local, county, or
  public or nonprofit institutions of higher
  education that operate National Youth Sports
  Programs
• at least 50 percent of the children in the area
  to be served must be eligible for free or
  reduced-price meals.
• provided for meals served to all children aged 1
  through 18.

14
Improvements

• Compliance review
• Intakes
• Higher levels of total fat, saturated fat and
  sodium