The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides nutrient-dense foods, nutrition education, and referral to health care services for low-income pregnant women, postpartum women, infants, and children up to age five who are at nutritional risk. This study...

Direct certification simplifies the process of certifying certain children for free school meals by eliminating the need for households to apply. The 2004 Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act required all local educations agencies (LEAs) to establish a system of direct certification by...

This report responds to the legislative requirement of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (P.L.110-246) to assess the effectiveness of State and local efforts to directly certify children for free school meals under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).