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Food Assistance Programs 
for Children & Families

More than 1.5 million people around Pennsylvania experience food insecurity and may not know where they will get their next meal — children are no exception to this. Food is a critical building block that fuels a child’s growth and development. We must do our part to ensure availability of food assistance programs for our children and families, so they can be successful, and we can eliminate the growing hunger gaps across Pennsylvania’s communities. 

  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
    Department of Human Services (DHS)
    Also known as food stamps, SNAP benefits are used to buy food and help eligible low-income households in Pennsylvania obtain more nutritious diets by increasing their food purchasing power at grocery stores and supermarkets. If you are eligible, you will receive a debit card called an ACCESS Card. You can use this card to buy food at grocery stores, supermarkets and other stores that accept them. 

  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
    Department of Human Services (DHS)
    Also referred to as cash assistance, TANF provides cash assistance to pregnant women and dependent children and their parents or relatives who live with and care for them.

  • Special Supplemental Nutrition for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
    PA Department of Health (DOH)
    The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) provides nutrition education, breastfeeding instructions, and counseling at WIC clinics. To support healthy eating, participants are given vouchers they can redeem at grocery stores for specific food items.

  • WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP)
    PA Department of Agriculture (PDA)
    The special supplemental nutrition program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) established the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) to expand the awareness, use of, and sales at farmers' markets. FMNP was specifically designed to provide fresh, unprepared, locally grown fruits and vegetables to WIC participants by partnering with local markets and roadside stands.

  • School Nutrition Programs
    PA Department of Education (PDE)
    Free school meals (breakfast/lunch) are available for children from families receiving benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and children from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the poverty level. Reduced-price school meals are available for children from families whose incomes are between 130 percent and 185 percent of the poverty level.