ABSTRACT
This chapter describes principles and tradeoffs in the design of nutrition assistance programs for children; and provides an overview of federal school lunch and school breakfast programs. It also provides an overview of the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program; and explores both the substance and politics of efforts to improve child nutrition programs. The federal government funds public nutrition education through several programs: the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, which were originally an extension; and the voluntary nutrition education component of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Unlike SNAP and WIC, which are only available to low-income Americans, all US school-aged children may participate in the school meals programs. Program costs at the national level depend on the average cost of providing a school meal. WIC provides nutrition services and food packages to low-income pregnant and postpartum women, infants up to 1 year of age and children up to their fifth birthday.
