Congress Helps Military Families Receive
Child and Adult Care Food Program

The 2004 Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act permanently excludes privatized military housing allowances from consideration as income when determining low-income eligibility for the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the other child nutrition programs.

With privatized military housing allowances no longer counted as income, the exemption allows more military families to fall within the eligibility range for low-income (Tier 1) rates. This exclusion originally was authorized for fiscal years 2002 and 2003, then was continued through June 30, 2004. The Act makes this provision permanent.

• This exclusion applies only to households living in housing covered by the Military Housing Privatization Initiative. Through this initiative, military-owned housing is operated by private contractors on some military installations, and housing allowances appear on service members' earnings statements.
• Military households that live off-base in regular commercial or private housing are NOT eligible for this exclusion of income.

For more information:

U.S. Department of Defense Military Housing Privatization Initiative

Download Food and Nutrition Service (USDA) memo about this provision [PDF]

Factsheets on Child Nutrition Programs School Breakfast  |  School Lunch  |  Afterschool  |  Summer Food Women, Infants, and Children  |  Child and Adult Care Food Program

Prepared by the Food Research & Action Center, 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20009; 202-986-2200; www.frac.org