Child Nutrition Center

Federal Child Nutrition Programs

National School Lunch Program President Harry S. Truman signed the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) into law in 1946 as a measure of National Security. He did so after reading a study that revealed many young men were rejected from the World War II draft due medical conditions caused by childhood malnutrition. Since that time the National School Lunch Program has made over 180 million free or reduced price lunches available to children attending public and private schools and childcare institutions. The NSLP works through federal reimbursments paid to schools serving free or reduce priced lunches. Lunches served as a part of the National School Lunch Program must meet USDA meal guidelines. Every day, over 300,000 children eat a school lunch in Connecticut.

School Breakfast Program The School Breakfast Program (SBP) is a federally funded meals program that started in 1966. The SBP provides nutritious breakfasts to students and gets them ready to learn. As with the case with school lunches, children are eligible for free, reduced, or fully-paid breakfasts based in their families' incomes. Unfortunately, Connecticut is last in the nation for the number of schools offering school breakfast and only 39.1% of low-income students are eating breakfast at school.

Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) This program was created to provide the benefits of school lunch and breakfast during the summer when school is not in session. The SFSP provides reimbursements  to schools, local government agencies, and private non-profit organizations that serve free meals and snacks to children at sites located in low-income areas or that serve primarily low-income children. As great as this program is, only 1/4 of children who eat  free or reduced lunch at school are participating in teh summer food program in Connecticut.

Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) WIC is a federally funded nutrition program that helps low-income pregnant women, new mothers and children age 5 and under stay healthy and eat well. WIC provides nutritious foods, nutrition education, and access to health care. Connecticut has seen a steady increase in those using the WIC program-more than 60,000 women, infants, and children in CT use WIC.

Child and Adult Care Food Program The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is federally funded and provides reimbursement for meals and snacks served in child and adult daycare facilities as well as to children in emergency shelters. Connecticut is now one of thirteen states with the At-Risk Supper Program, allowing suppers to be served to kids 18 and under (year round) in low-income areas. Family day care participation has decreased 50% in the last 10 years due to a federal programmatic change that caused many providers to drop off the program.