Do your students know they can get free, nutritious meals all summer long? In addition to the breakfast and lunch programs that run during the school year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture also supports a Summer Food Service Program at community sites, including public schools, throughout the summer. Summer meals are available to all children up to age 18, regardless of income level. No application or registration is required. 

Even if your school district is not hosting a meal site this summer, sharing this information with your students and their households may be appreciated. Since summer meal sites change from year to year, families may not know where they can access free meals this summer.

Some programs may also be operating differently this summer. The federal Consolidated Appropriations Act, signed in December 2022, includes provisions to allow “non-congregate feeding” in some rural areas. This means that some rural summer meal sites could offer home delivery, or “grab-and-go” meals that can be picked up and consumed elsewhere.

Meal sites are typically located in areas where at least half of the children come from families with incomes at or below 185% of the Federal poverty level. You can find summer meal sites near you using the Summer Meal Site Finder mapping tool.