USDA Food and Nutrition Service and participating schools and child-care institutions
Special Milk Program for Children
Participating schools, nonprofit child-care institutions, and eligible camps receive federal reimbursement to provide milk to children who do not have access to another federal child-nutrition meal service.
Child served by a participating Special Milk Program institutionIncome-eligible child at an institution offering free milk
Entitlement facts
Benefit type
Government benefit. A government-funded or administered benefit, service, coverage program, assistance program, or public access route. Taxonomy definition →
What it unlocks
Free milk for children who meet household-income rules when a participating institution operates the free-milk option, or milk offered at the institution's federally subsidized price under another approved pricing option.
Who qualifies
Child served by a participating Special Milk Program institution; Income-eligible child at an institution offering free milk
Requirements
The child must attend a participating school, residential or nonresidential child-care institution, or camp that is eligible for the Special Milk Program and generally does not participate in another federal meal-service program. A school in the lunch or breakfast programs may use it for half-day prekindergarten or kindergarten children without access to those meals. Free milk requires the institution to offer that option and the household to meet the current free-meal income rules and application or direct-certification process.
How to activate
Ask the child's school, child-care institution, or camp whether it participates and whether it offers free milk; submit the institution's annual household application or direct-certification information when required. Use the USDA program-contact directory to reach the state agency if local staff cannot answer.
Cost basis
Variable by provider or eligibility. The user's out-of-pocket cost cannot be represented by one fixed amount because it depends on provider policy, income, household, geography, selected service, coverage group, subsidy amount, or the underlying program. It may be free, reduced, sliding-scale, or partly paid.
Cost and fees
Eligible children receive free milk only where the institution uses the free-milk option and the child qualifies; other participating sites may charge the published subsidized price. The program does not provide cash or groceries and is unavailable where no eligible local institution participates.
Geography
US, Participating state agencies, schools, institutions, and camps
Personalization
Published eligibility is not described as individually targeted.
EVIDENCE / 1 SOURCE
Eligibility is conditional, not guaranteed.
Check the provider's final terms immediately before applying, depositing funds, spending, or changing a paid relationship.
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