The March 2026 monthly data and the January 2026 data that were recently re-released by the Census Bureau are now available via IPUMS CPS. October 2025 data were not collected during the U.S. federal government shutdown.
FRELUNCH
Number of children with government school lunch subsidy
- Codes
- Description
- Comparability
- Universe
- Availability
- Flags
- Questionnaire Text
- UnHarmonized Variables
Codes and Frequencies
Description
While (LUNCHSUB) indicates whether any children 5-18 in the household "usually" received a free or reduced price lunch at school, FRELUNCH specifies the number of children receiving this means-tested benefit. For information on the National School Lunch Program, see (LUNCHSUB).
Households with no children ages 5-18 are coded as "99" (Not in Universe) in FRELUNCH. Those with children who didn't eat hot lunch are coded as "98." A "00" code in FRELUNCH indicates that none of the children in the household who ate a school lunch paid a reduced fee or no fee; codes of "01" to "09" relate to the number of children who ate a hot lunch at a reduced fee or no fee, with "09" meaning 9 or more children.
Universe
- Households and group quarters with one or more children receiving free or reduced price lunch.
Availability
| Years | Jan | Feb | ASEC | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 – 2025 | - | - | X | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
