- What is the Summer Food Service Program?
- How does the program operate?
- Where does the program operate?
- Who is eligible to get meals?
- How many meals do participants receive each day?
- How much reimbursement does the government provide?
What is the Summer Food Service Program?
Just as learning does not end when school lets out, neither does a child's need for good nutrition. The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) provides free, nutritious meals and snacks to help children in low-income areas get the nutrition they need to learn, play, and grow throughout the summer months when they are out of school.
The Food and Nutrition Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, administers SFSP at the federal level. State education agencies administer the program in most states. In some areas, the state health or social service department or an FNS regional office may be designated. Locally, SFSP is run by approved sponsors, including school districts, local government agencies, camps, or private nonprofit organizations. Sponsors provide free meals to a group of children at a central site, such as a school or a community center. They receive payments from USDA, through their state agencies, for the meals they serve and for their documented operating costs.
Where does the program operate?
States approve SFSP meal sites as open, enrolled, or camp sites. Open sites operate in low-income areas where at least half of the children come from families with incomes at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level, making them eligible for free and reduced-price school meals. Meals are served free to any child at the open site. Enrolled sites provide free meals to children enrolled in an activity program at the site where at least half of them are eligible for free and reduced-price meals. Camps may also participate in SFSP. They receive payments only for the meals served to children who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals.
Children 18 and younger may receive free meals and snacks through SFSP. Meals and snacks are also available to persons with disabilities, over age 18, who participate in school programs for people who are mentally or physically disabled.
How many meals do participants receive each day?
At most sites, children receive either one or two reimbursable meals each day. Camps and sites that primarily serve migrant children may be approved to serve up to three meals to each child, each day.
How much reimbursement does the government provide?
Reimbursement rates vary and can be found on our Reimbursement Rates information page here.