CARE for Kids Act of 2025

This bill makes it easier for schools to approve free or reduced-price meals without extra forms. It adds more kids to the “automatically eligible” and “directly certified” lists, including children living with grandparents or other relatives, kids placed with caregivers through state or tribal child welfare systems, children getting adoption or kinship guardianship assistance, and families in certain low‑income or Native American housing. Schools can use these links to other programs to approve meals faster and with less paperwork .

It also makes a child’s meal status follow them when they move to a new school district. For children who recently began living with a grandparent or other relative caregiver, the new district must extend that status for one extra year, giving families stability during a big change. The bill also updates Medicaid-based approval so it clearly covers children on Medicaid due to foster care–related aid or because they receive SSI.

• Who is affected: students in kinship care; children receiving adoption or kinship guardianship assistance; kids living with grandparents or older caregivers in low‑income housing; families receiving Native American housing assistance; students who change school districts; and children on Medicaid due to foster care aid or SSI .
• What changes: more kids qualify automatically; eligibility transfers with the student and can be extended an extra year in certain caregiver situations; Medicaid direct certification is clarified to include specific groups of children .