After School Snack Program

Filling the afternoon hunger gap

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provide federal funding to help offset the cost of serving healthy meals and snacks to children in a variety of care settings, including afterschool programs. While both programs have long supported free afterschool snacks, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 expanded access by allowing educational and enrichment programs in low-income areas to serve free meals—typically suppers—through the CACFP At-Risk Afterschool Meals component, commonly known as the Afterschool Meals Program.

Together, these programs help fill the afternoon hunger gap for school-age children by ensuring access to nutritious food after the school day ends. Through agreements with state agencies, local school food authorities (SFAs) administer afterschool meal and snack services and receive federal reimbursement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for each eligible meal or snack served. In return, participating SFAs must meet federal nutrition standards and provide free or reduced-price benefits to eligible children. This guide focuses on how schools can take advantage of the Afterschool Meals Program to serve meals, rather than only snacks, and better support students' nutritional needs during out-of-school hours.