Home › Children
Food Help for Children — Birth to 18
~13M children live in food-insecure households in the US. This page lists EVERY federal and private program by age, from infant formula to senior-year school lunch. Stack programs for maximum support.
1. Programs by age — quick reference
| Age | Main program | Additional programs |
|---|---|---|
| 0-12 mo | WIC | Pantries with formula |
| 1-5 | WIC + CACFP | Pantries, Head Start |
| 5-13 | NSLP/SBP (school) | SFSP (summer), CACFP (after-school), Summer EBT |
| 13-18 | NSLP/SBP (school) | SFSP, Summer EBT, backpack programs |
2. WIC — infants and kids under 5
- Infants (0-12 months) — fully-covered infant formula + infant cereal + pureed fruits/vegetables at 6+ months
- Children (1-5) — milk, 100% juice, iron-fortified cereal, beans/peanut butter, fruits/vegetables, whole grains
- Breastfeeding + support — free counseling; breast pumps provided; individual counseling
- Eligibility — 185% FPL — higher than SNAP. If on SNAP/Medicaid/TANF, auto-eligible.
- Apply for WIC →
3. CACFP — daycare + after-school meals
Child and Adult Care Food Program. Provides healthy meals and snacks to kids in daycare, head start, and after-school programs. Reimburses providers; families generally don\u0027t pay.
- Up to 2 meals + 1 snack per day (or 1 meal + 2 snacks)
- After-school programs run by churches / schools in eligible zones also qualify
- Ask your child care provider if they participate in CACFP
4. School meals — lunch + breakfast
- NSLP — National School Lunch Program. Free (130% FPL), reduced (185% FPL), or full price.
- SBP — School Breakfast Program. Same rules as NSLP.
- CEP (Community Eligibility Provision) — all students at eligible schools receive free meals with no individual application
- Auto-eligibility — if household receives SNAP / TANF / Medicaid / FDPIR, kids auto-qualify for free meals without applying
- Universal Free Meals — some states — CA, CO, ME, MA, MN, NM, MI, NV, VT offer universal free school meals with no verification
5. Summer meals — when school is out
- SFSP — Summer Food Service Program. Hot meals at parks, schools, churches, community centers. Free for kids under 18. No application.
- Summer EBT (SUN Bucks) — $120 per eligible child per summer. Loaded to EBT card for groceries. Permanent since FY24. Some states opted out — check fns.usda.gov/sebt.
- Combine SFSP + Summer EBT — Yes. Families can get both. One does NOT disqualify the other.
- Find SFSP →
- Summer EBT 2026 guide →
6. Backpack programs — weekend bridges
Private initiatives (often run by churches and schools) sending home a discreet "backpack" of food for the weekend. For kids dependent on school meals.
- Ask school nurse / counselor / teacher
- BackPack Program at regional food banks (often run via food banks)
- Confidential — names aren\u0027t public
- Generally no income verification
7. Whole household — SNAP
SNAP covers all household members — kids included. For a family of 3 (mom + 2 kids), income limit is $3,007/mo (130% FPL FY26).
- Receiving SNAP makes kids auto-eligible for school meals + Summer EBT
- Child support paid by non-custodial parent is DEDUCTED from income for SNAP
- Child care paid is DEDUCTED from income (no cap)
- Apply for SNAP →
8. If you need food today
- Dial 211 (24/7 multilingual). Mention kids for priority routing to family pantries.
- No Kid Hungry: 1-866-3-HUNGRY or text FOOD to 304-304
- Local pantries — no documentation of kids or income required
- Find pantries →
Related resources
Last updated 2026-04-30. Feed America Inc. (EIN 92-1761881).