CARE for Kids Act of 2025

The CARE for Kids Act of 2025 would broaden and streamline access to free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Act by expanding how children become eligible for school meals. It substantially widens the categories of children who can be directly certified (i.e., automatically deemed eligible based on circumstances or other programs) and extends protections when students transfer between schools. It also ties together school meals with related federal programs (foster care, adoption and kinship care payments, housing assistance, and Medicaid) to improve continuity of eligibility for children who move between districts or live with caregivers such as grandparents or relatives. Overall, the bill aims to reduce administrative barriers and prevent gaps in school meal eligibility for children in complex caregiving arrangements or those tied to other federal programs. Key elements include recognizing placement arrangements involving state or tribal child welfare agencies, expanding automatic eligibility to include more caregiving and housing scenarios, extending eligibility determinations for transferring students, and linking Medicaid eligibility to meal program eligibility in a broader set of circumstances.