An Untapped Investment: Funding for Afterschool Snacks
and Meals
Serving healthy food in an afterschool program improves
children's nutrition and allows them to fully benefit from out
of school time enrichment activities. Three federal nutrition
programs exist to provide afterschool programs that serve
low-income children nutritious snacks and meals. Funding
originates at the federal level with the USDA and then flows
through the state child nutrition agency and then to the
individual government agencies, schools and private
non-profits. Because both the afterschool snack and summer
meals are entitlement programs, if sponsors don’t apply for
the program and receive the reimbursement, the state simply
loses the opportunity to draw down the funds. This is a real
loss for the state in terms of missing out on federal money
and also for the organizations that could have used the money
to serve snacks and meals to children in need.
For
many children, this may be their only opportunity for an
evening meal. The nutrition programs can also help make
afterschool programs more financially stable and since
afterschool programs are reimbursed for each snack and meal
they serve, funding continues to grow as more kids are fed.
For example, an afterschool program in a low- income area,
which is serving snacks to 50 children, could receive
approximately $5,400 each year. With each new child, the
program would receive an additional $108 For more information
on how to add a snack or meal to your afterschool program,
visit the Afterschool Resource Center at www.frac.org
or contact Alexis Bylander at the Food Research and Action
Center (202-986-2200 ext 3039). Both school- based and
community-based programs are
eligible.
