FNS Documents & Resources

The Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) awards grants to states, U.S. Territories, and federally recognized Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) to provide low-income seniors with coupons that can be exchanged for eligible foods (fruits, vegetables, honey, and fresh-cut herbs) at farmers’ markets, roadside stands, and Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs.

The School Breakfast Program provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or no-cost breakfasts to children each school day in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. The SBP started in 1966 as a pilot project and was made a permanent entitlement program by Congress in 1975.

The National School Lunch Program provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or no-cost lunches to children each school day in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. The NSLP was established under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, signed into law in 1946.

The WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) is associated with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, generally known as WIC. FMNP provides women, infants, and children certified to receive WIC benefits with coupons that can be utilized for eligible foods (fruits, vegetables, honey, and fresh-cut herbs) at farmers’ markets, roadside stands, and community-supported agriculture programs.

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program provides free, fresh fruits and vegetables to children at eligible elementary schools during the school day. The goal of FFVP is to introduce children to new fresh fruits and vegetables and increase overall their acceptance and consumption of fresh, unprocessed produce. The FFVP also incorporates nutrition education.

The Commodity Supplemental Food Program works to improve the health of low-income elderly persons at least 60 years of age by supplementing their diets with nutritious, domestically sourced and produced food, known as USDA Foods.

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) helps child and adult care institutions and family or group day care homes provide nutritious foods to young children, at-risk youth, and adults who are chronically impaired.

The Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations provides nutritious, domestically sourced and produced food, known as USDA Foods, to income-eligible households living on Indian reservations and to American Indian households residing in approved areas near reservations or in Oklahoma. Many households participate in FDPIR as an alternative to SNAP because they have limited access to SNAP offices or authorized food stores. Individuals cannot receive SNAP and FDPIR benefits in the same month.

FNS plays a vital role in providing supplemental nutrition assistance when disasters occur by coordinating with state, local, and voluntary organizations to: (1) provide food for shelters and other mass feeding sites, (2) distribute food packages directly to households in specific situations, (3) offer flexibility in nutrition assistance programs’ design and administration to continue providing benefits to participants in need, and (4) approve eligible states’ requests to operate a Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children serves low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk. WIC provides participants with nutritious foods to supplement participant diets, nutrition education, and referrals to health and other social services.