School Wellness Policies

What is a School Wellness Policy?

The Federal Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 requires all school districts with federally-funded school meal programs to develop and implement wellness policies that address nutrition and physical activity by the start of the 2006-2007 school year.  Wellness policies should increase the focus on healthy habits, nutrition education, physical activity with ongoing efforts to combat hunger and food insecurity.

The ENACT Local Policy Database includes examples of school wellness policies.  For more, check out the following resources:

School Wellness Resources

United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (USDA FNS)

Team Nutrition of the USDA FNS compiled guidelines for school wellness policies, tools for implementation, Frequently Asked Questions and information on funding school wellness policies.

Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK)

AFHK provides a comprehensive database of school wellness policies, searchable by policy area and location.

California Project LEAN (CPL)

CPL offers a suite of tools for healthier schools, including an action guide to stop unhealthy marketing, sample school policies, ideas for creative fundraising and a pocket guide to figure out if school snacks meet California’s guidelines.  

California Food Policy Advocates  (CFPA)

As part of the statewide Breakfast First: Healthy Food for Hungry Minds Campaign, CFPA developed a local wellness policy guide describing how a healthy breakfast is part of school wellness.

Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC)

CFSC emphasizes local purchasing and farm-to-school actions in the sample school wellness policy language to encourage that school food is healthy, local and farm fresh.

National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity (NANA)

NANA developed model school wellness policies and templates with links to additional resources.  Models include sections on monitoring and policy review to ensure that recommendations don’t sit on the shelf.