# Understanding the Afterschool Meals Act of 2022

This bill expands a federal food program to make sure kids in afterschool care programs get proper meals, not just snacks. Right now, the government helps pay for meals during the school day through the school lunch and breakfast programs. This bill takes that same support and extends it to afterschool programs—so when kids stay at school or community centers after classes end, they can get full meals like lunch or dinner, plus breakfast if the program runs early enough, rather than just small snacks or supplements.

The practical effect is that afterschool programs would be able to serve complete, nutritious meals to children using federal funding, just like schools do during the regular school day. These meals would have to meet the same nutrition standards that apply to school lunches and breakfasts—meaning they'd include proper portions of fruits, vegetables, proteins, and grains. This matters most for working families and low-income kids who might otherwise go hungry between school dismissal and dinner time, or for families who can't afford to pack extra meals for afterschool care.

The bill also includes a safeguard: before a state approves a program to provide these meals, it has to make sure that program isn't already getting federal meal funding through another route. This prevents double-dipping and makes sure the money goes to programs that actually need it. Essentially, this is about filling a gap in the current system—recognizing that kids who spend hours in afterschool care need real food, not just crackers and juice, and that many families can't afford to provide it themselves.

Afterschool Meals Act of 2022

Brown, Shontel M.

Afterschool Meals Act of 2022 This bill allows for reimbursements to schools for meals provided to eligible children in after-school care through the National School Lunch Program. (Under current law, schools participating in that program may only provide snacks during after-school care.)