Each month, Hunger Free America highlights anti-hunger best practices across the country. For the month of October, we are featuring four states – Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, and New Mexico – for their implementation of new universal school meals programs in their states.

Starting with this new academic year, these four states began implementation of universal school meals programs. Each state’s new program is permanent, enabling all students in all four states to receive school meals at no cost from now on. Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that school meals support overall diet quality, better attendance, and improved test scores.

Learn more about these changes to school meals for Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, and New Mexico.