Child Nutrition Programs During Disaster

Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, 

and floods, can be devastating to communities 

and require a quick response. Schools, child 

care centers, and summer sites that operate 

the National School Lunch (NSLP) and School 

Breakfast Programs (SBP), the Child and 

Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), or the 

Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) can help 

minimize disruptions to families. 

Children in households receiving D-SNAP 

benefits are eligible for free meals regardless 

of income. Children identified as homeless by 

a school or emergency shelter official are also 

eligible for free meals regardless of income. 

Eligibility for free meals will continue for the 

rest of the school year under the NSLP and SBP 

or for a full year through CACFP or SFSP.

Contact information for State Child Nutrition 

Programs can be found at: 

www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/contacts/sdacontacts.htm

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program 

for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) 

During Disaster

While WIC is not designed to be a disaster 

assistance program or first-response option 

for disaster survivors, WIC policies allow 

State agencies flexibility in program design 

and administration to support continuation of 

benefits to participants during times of natural 

or other disasters. WIC State agencies are 

encouraged to work with FEMA as well as their 

own State and local emergency services offices 

to assist participants during a disaster.

Disaster-related participants/evacuees who 

seek WIC benefits should receive expedited 

certification processing. Participants/evacuees 

may be able to use their original WIC checks 

or vouchers in the State to which they have 

relocated. The WIC State agency will inform 

participants if this is the case, usually through a 

toll-free telephone number and/or other public 

announcement. 

Contact information for State WIC agencies can 

be found at: 

www.fns.usda.gov/wic/contacts/statealpha.htm

Food Banks and The Emergency Food 

Assistance Program (TEFAP)

Food banks are an important resource to 

help meet the food needs of those affected by 

emergencies and disasters. For food banks 

that participate in TEFAP, one effective way to 

address disaster food needs is to enroll affected 

individuals and families in this program. Under 

certain conditions, food banks may also work 

through their State agency to request approval 

from FNS to operate a household disaster food 

distribution program using USDA Foods. 

TEFAP and household disaster feeding are two 

separate and distinct programs that can be used 

to respond to emergencies and disasters. 

Contact information for TEFAP in your State can 

be found at: 

www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/contacts/sdacontacts.htm

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Food and Nutrition Service | FNS-483 | February 2015

Buying, selling, or otherwise misusing benefits from 

USDA’s nutrition assistance programs is a crime. 

To report suspected abuse call (800) 424-9121, 

email: usda_hotline@oig.usda.gov, or write the 

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General,

 PO Box 23399, Washington, DC, 20026-3399.

Disaster 

Nutrition Assistance 

Programs

United States Department of Agriculture
Food is essential when people find themselves 

suddenly, and often critically, in need following 

a storm, earthquake, flood, or other disaster 

emergency. 

The United States Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) ensures that people have enough 

nutritious food to eat. USDA’s Food and 

Nutrition Service (FNS) coordinates with State, 

local, and voluntary organizations to:

• Provide food for shelters and other mass 

feeding sites.

• Distribute food packages directly to 

households in need in limited situations.

• Approve operation of the Disaster 

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 

Program (D-SNAP).

As part of the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency (FEMA) National 

Response Framework, FNS provides nutrition 

assistance to those most affected by a 

disaster or emergency. 

When State agencies that run USDA’s nutrition 

assistance programs notify USDA of the types 

and quantities of food that relief organizations 

need for emergency feeding operations, FNS 

supplies food to organizations such as the 

American Red Cross and the Salvation Army 

for mass feeding or household distribution.

Using USDA Foods During Disasters

• USDA Foods include 

a variety of canned, 

fresh, frozen, and dry 

products including fruits, 

vegetables, meats, and 

whole grains.

• Disaster organizations 

request food through 

State agencies. States, 

in turn, notify USDA of the types and 

quantities of food that relief organizations 

need.

• USDA does not set aside food specifically for 

disasters.

• In an emergency, disaster organizations may 

use existing inventories of USDA Foods 

stored at State, local, and school warehouses.

Disaster Foods for Mass Feeding Sites

• States have authority to release USDA Foods 

to disaster relief agencies for mass feeding 

when the President of the United States 

issues a major disaster declaration, and in 

certain other types of emergencies. 

• USDA Foods intended for the USDA 

National School Lunch Program are 

most often used for mass feeding. Under 

special circumstances, FNS may provide 

supplemental infant formula and baby food 

following a major disaster, in coordination 

with FEMA and disaster relief organizations, 

to support the care of children in mass care 

shelters and emergency congregate care 

facilities. 

Disaster Foods for Direct Distribution to 

Households

Disaster relief organizations sometimes make 

USDA Foods available in smaller sizes to 

individual households for preparation and 

consumption at home. These are most often 

obtained from State and recipient agency 

inventory intended for The Emergency 

Food Assistance Program, the Commodity 

Supplemental Food Program, and the Food 

Distribution Program on Indian Reservations. 

States must always get prior approval from FNS 

to distribute USDA Foods from these programs 

to disaster survivors. 

It is also important to note that a household 

cannot receive both disaster distribution of 

USDA Foods and Disaster Supplemental 

Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) 

benefits at the same time. States must take 

reasonable steps to prevent households from 

participating in both programs. 

Contact information for State food distribution 

programs can be found at: 

www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/contacts/sdacontacts.htm

D-SNAP

Through D-SNAP, FNS is able to quickly offer 

short-term food assistance benefits to families 

suffering in the wake of a disaster. Here are some 

important points to consider about D-SNAP: 

• Eligible households receive 1 month of 

benefits, equivalent to the maximum amount 

of benefits normally issued to a SNAP 

household of their size. Benefits are issued 

via an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card, 

which can be used to purchase food at most 

grocery stores.

• Through D-SNAP, affected households use a 

simplified application. Benefits are issued to 

eligible applicants within 72 hours, speeding 

assistance to disaster survivors and reducing 

the administrative burden on State agencies 

operating in post-disaster conditions. 

• FNS approves D-SNAP operations in an 

affected area under the authority of the Robert 

T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 

Assistance Act when the area has received a 

Presidential disaster declaration of individual 

assistance (IA) from the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency. 

• State agencies request FNS approval to operate 

a D-SNAP within the disaster area. FNS 

approves program operations for a limited 

period of time (typically 7 days), during 

which the State agency may accept D-SNAP 

applications. 

Contact information for State SNAP Hotlines can 

be found at: 

www.fns.usda.gov/snap/contact_info/hotlines.htm.