Summer Food Service Program

FAQs on Summer Food Service Program

1. 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.

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2. How does the program operate?

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. Locally, SFSP is run by approved sponsors, including school districts, local government agencies, camps, or private nonprofit organizations. Sponsors provide free meals to children at central sites, such as schools or community centers. They receive payments from USDA, through their state agencies, for the meals they serve.

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3. 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. 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 and receive payments only for meals served to children who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals.

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4. Who is eligible to receive 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.

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5. 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 per day.

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6. How long has the SFSP been in existence?

SFSP was first created as part of a larger pilot program in 1968 and became a separate program in 1975. The program has grown significantly over the decades, serving millions of children across the United States each summer.