The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential childcare institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost, or free lunches to children each school day. The NSLP was established under the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946.
In Massachusetts, the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) operates in line with federal guidelines to provide nutritious lunches to children in public and nonprofit private schools, as well as residential childcare institutions. The program offers free or reduced-price meals to eligible children, with eligibility based on household income levels set by the federal government. The program aims to ensure that all students have access to healthy meals during the school day, which is essential for their growth, development, and academic performance. The administration of the NSLP in Massachusetts is overseen by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, which works in conjunction with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to ensure compliance with federal regulations and to manage the distribution of funds to participating schools.