The National School Lunch Program
How can my child get free- or reduced-price school lunch in D.C.?
The School Lunch section (pdf) of D.C. Hunger Solutions' How To Get Food in the District of Columbia: Food and Nutrition Resource Guide Guide can help you find out if you're child is eligible and give you information on how to apply.
How can a school start participating in the National School Lunch Program?
The National School Lunch Program section (pdf) of D.C. Hunger Solutions' Get the Facts: A Resource Guide for the Federal Nutrition Programs provides extensive information on reimbursement and funding, how the program works, what schools and institutions can participate, what students qualify for free and reduced price lunch, benefits to students, and tips on collecting school meal applications. The Guide is for social service providers, afterschool programs, schools, shelters, health clinics, faith-based organization, child development centers, food banks, and others.
D.C. School Lunch Participation Data
During the 2009-2010 school year:
- An average of 45,803 children a day in 227 schools participated in school lunch.
- 37,306 of these children received free or reduced-price lunch.
- D.C. schools received $19,224,173 in reimbursements for the National School Lunch Program.
Additional Resources:
USDA's National School Lunch Program Web site section.
National School Lunch Program advocacy and program information on the Food Research and Action Center's Web site.
