The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, signed into law on January 16, 2026, enhances healthy school lunch milk options available to kids and supports farmers by opening additional markets for nutritious dairy products. Dairy Together, a national coalition working to educate farmers, eaters, and lawmakers about how managed growth based on market demand can create a viable dairy economy, is encouraging schools to make whole milk available as part of their school lunch offerings for the sake of our nation’s kids and family farmers.
The new law makes it possible for schools to purchase whole milk for school lunch service, in addition to other expanded options. S. 222 amends fluid milk requirements under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act which applies to schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). New implementation guidelines released by USDA earlier this year detail changes to the program and define standards for schools interested in offering a nutritious whole milk option to students.
Over the last decade, the USDA recorded the loss of roughly 17,000 dairy farms, cutting the total number by nearly one third. Losing the strong engines that are family dairy farms is devastating for the social and economic fabric of farm families and rural communities. Dairy Together calls on schools to source milk from local, family-scale farms in order to support dairy farming neighbors and bolster the vitality of our rural communities.
