Across the state of Kentucky, each and every day, students receive nutritious meals and snacks in school thanks to the USDA’s child nutrition programs. Below is a brief overview of all school meal programs available. If you are a parent or caregiver of a student or even a student yourself and would like information on how to access program benefits, please contact School and Community Nutrition for additional information.
The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools as well as residential child care institutions. The program provides nutritionally balanced, low cost or no cost lunches to children each school day.
The School Breakfast Program (SBP) provides nutritious meals to Kentucky students. Whether it is breakfast in the cafeteria, breakfast in the classroom, or grab and go, school breakfast is an important start in every student's day. Schools that participate in the School Breakfast Program received funding assistance similar to the National School Lunch Program. Schools providing the School Breakfast Program meet specific "meal pattern" requirements to ensure all meals are nutritionally sound. The Kentucky Board of Education passed a
School Breakfast Program resolution to support the School Breakfast Program.
The Afterschool Snack Program offers cash reimbursement to help schools serve snacks to children in afterschool activities aimed at promoting the health and well-being of children and youth in our communities. A school must provide children with regularly scheduled activities in an organized, structured and supervised environment; include educational or enrichment activities.
The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) provides all children in participating schools with a variety of free fresh fruits and vegetables through the school day. The goal of FFVP is to create healthier schools environments by providing healthier food choices by expanding the variety of fruits and vegetables children experience, increase children’s fruit and vegetable consumption and to make a difference in children’s diets to impact their present and future health. Please refer to the
KDE Competitive Grant webpage for grant requirements.
Children need nutrition all year long. The Seamless Summer Option makes it possible for schools to feed children during the traditional summer vacation periods and for year round schools, long school vacation periods. Once approved by the State Agency, the school serves meals free of charge to children, including teenagers through age 18, under the school meal program rules. Meals are reimbursed at the free rates for school lunches, school breakfasts, and afterschool snacks which are lower than the Summer Food Service Program rates.
The Special Milk Program provides milk to children in schools, child care institutions and eligible camps that do not participate in other Federal child nutrition meal services programs. The program reimburses schools and institutions for the milk they serve. Schools in the National School Lunch or School Breakfast Programs may also participate in the Special Milk Program to provide milk to children in half-day pre-kindergarten and kindergarten programs where children do not have access to the school meal programs.