National School Lunch Program

A young person carries a tray witha sandwich, an orange and a container of milk.

A pandemic experiment in universal free school meals gains traction in the states

BY: - April 24, 2023

WASHINGTON —  Every public school kid in the United States was eligible for free school meals during the COVID-19 pandemic, regardless of family income, thanks to the federal government. While that’s now ended, a growing number of states across the country are enacting universal school meal laws to bolster child food security and academic equity. […]

A man in a mask faces rows of refrigeration units in an aisle at a supermarket. The units contain food.

DHR to provide summer food assistance to children with SNAP benefits

BY: - March 17, 2023

The Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) plans to dispense food assistance to over half a million children who receive free or reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program. The benefits will come through the Summer Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program.  “Every dollar of support from programs like P-EBT strengthens their spending […]