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Our WIC CAN HELP campaign is designed to help the one million California families we serve to survive and protect their children’s health in these tough times. The campaign builds local agency staff capacity to inform and connect WIC families with all possible community assistance programs, from dental care to foreclosure counseling to utility assistance.

WIC CAN HELP identifies lesser-known referral resources, and makes sure the local WIC network can easily share the information with WIC participants using downloadable multi-language flyers or information. Each month, we share a new resource and referral “survival kit” which highlights assistance or program linkages that local WIC staff might suggest to young families in need. WIC CAN HELP is funded by grants from The California Endowment and Kaiser Permanente Community Benefits.

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AUGUST: School Breakfast, Lunch, and More

Numerous studies have shown that hungry children cannot learn effectively and that even mild malnutrition can impair physical and cognitive growth. Breakfast, lunch and snacks served at school can provide children the food they need for optimal health and learning. By sharing the information and resources on this page, WIC Can Help families with school-age children (including students entering kindergarten) benefit from school meal programs.

REMINDER: All children entering grades 7-12 must have an up-to-date whooping cough (pertussis) vaccination before they can start school this fall! More info at Shots for School.

School Lunch

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted program that provides nutritionally balanced, low‐cost or free lunches to students in over 10,000 California public schools. Research shows that NSLP meals are a healthy choice, often more nutritious than meals purchased by students outside of school or lunches commonly brought from home.

Who's Eligible?

All children, regardless of their citizenship status, may receive a school lunch. Children from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the poverty level are eligible for free meals. Those with slightly higher incomes (130 to 185 percent of poverty level) are eligible for reduced‐price meals (40 cents or less). Children in families receiving unemployment compensation may also be eligible for free or reduced price school meals. Check the income eligibility guidelines, and remember that a pregnant woman counts as two household members.

Children in CalFresh households are automatically eligible for free meals and do not need to submit a separate application. These families should receive a letter from the school confirming that their children can eat school meals for free.

How to Apply?

Schools send school meal applications home at the beginning of each school year, usually in several languages other than English. However, families may apply for school meals at any time during the school year by requesting a household application from the school and submitting it directly to the school. Although each school district has their own format families must use, you can get an idea of the type of information required on the application from this sample application (in English; other languages available from USDA).

School Breakfast

The National School Breakfast Program (SBP) is a federally assisted program that provides nutritionally balanced, low‐cost or free breakfasts to students in over 9,600 California schools. Eligibility guidelines and application processes for breakfast are the same as for school lunch.

Over 1.1 million California children were served breakfast each school day in 2009-10. However, the School Breakfast Program does not serve 2.3 million of California's low-income students who are eligible to receive free or reduced-price school meals.

If a local school does not offer breakfast, the Breakfast First Campaign provides tools to help community members (including WIC agencies and families) advocate for a breakfast program.

After-School Snacks

Through the NSLP, schools can offer nutritious snacks to children participating in qualifying after-school care programs. Families with children enrolled in such programs do not need to apply for the snack program. However, if snacks are not offered they can advocate for the after-school program to participate in Meal Supplements (Snacks) under the NSLP.