This program is for children who are at risk for hunger.

BackPack for Kids, a school- or community-based program, is designed to provide children, who have little or no means of acquiring food, with bags of nutritious, easy-to-prepare food items for weekends and school breaks.

No peer-reviewed publications evaluating the effectiveness of this program were located.

Each BackPack program is unique; however, most backpacks contain enough food to make several meals, and typically include the following:

• Breakfast foods such as cereal, oatmeal, or granola bars;
• Foods that require minimal preparation, such as macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or canned soup;
• Break;
• Milk or juice;
• Fresh or canned fruits;
• Fresh or canned vegetables; and
• Snack.

The program is often run through local food banks, where food bags are filled by volunteers. Within schools, the backpacks are distributed by classroom teachers, the school office, or from a central location in the school. Food banks may also partner with Boys and Girls Clubs or community centers to hand out backpacks to children.

To become a backpack site, please contact your nearest food bank. Feeding America distributes food and provides funds to partner food banks.

The program was launched in 1995 in Little Rock, Arkansas, with the help of a local food bank.  In 2006, the National Council at Feeding America approved the program as an official national program of the Feeding America Network. Currently, the Feeding America Network hosts more than 10,000 Backpack Programs across the United States.

Information on training was not located. Please use details in the Contact section to learn more.

Considerations for implementing this program include acquiring buy-in from school administration and teachers; partnering with a local food bank and other community support services; determining which students should receive the program; and recruiting volunteers to help with tasks such as packing bags, setting up distributions, and passing out backpacks.  

The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

If you are interested in implementing BackPack for Kids, the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you!
Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

BackPack programs in the Feeding America Network are required to provide meals to children at least once per month. Most programs hand out backpacks to children each week on Fridays or the day before a school break. Programs usually do not continue over the summer; however, summer meal programs may be hosted during this time.

Each bag of food costs between $2.50 and $5.00 per child.  The program costs are typically covered by donations and private organizations.  Federal reimbursement is not available for this program.

To move BackPack for Kids to the Promising category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence, at least one evaluation should be performed demonstrating positive effects lasting at least six months from program completion.

The Clearinghouse can help you develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program.
Phone: 1-877-382-9185 Email: Clearinghouse@psu.edu

You may also contact Feeding America by mail 161 North Clark Street, Suite 700, Chicago, IL 60601, phone 1-800-771-2303, or visit https://www.feedingamerica.org/contact

https://www.feedingamerica.org/our-work/hunger-relief-programs/backpack-program and https://www.actionforhealthykids.org/activity/backpack-programs/