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 Virginia, the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) operates in line with federal guidelines to provide nutritious, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children during school days. The program is available in public schools, nonprofit private schools, and residential childcare institutions across the state. Eligibility for free or reduced-price meals is determined by household income levels, which must fall within the limits set by the federal income eligibility guidelines. The program is administered at the federal level by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and at the state level by the Virginia Department of Education, which oversees the implementation of the program to ensure compliance with federal standards for meal content, nutrition, and safety.