The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in over 101,000 public and non-profit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to more than 30 million children each school day. In 1998, Congress expanded the National School Lunch Program to include reimbursement for snacks served to children in afterschool educational and enrichment programs to include children through 18 years of age. In Pennsylvania over one million children are served these nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches each day at 900 schools and child care institutions.
Eligibility Requirements: A school can apply for the program but must first be approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Once approved by Education they are automatically eligible for USDA commodities thru the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
Questions on this program should be directed to the program contact or by calling 800-468-2433, or emailing at RA-fooddist@pa.gov.