Resources Explaining Summer Meals Funding
Families now have more ways to get their kids the nutrition they need when school is out during the summer through SUN Programs: USDA's Summer Nutrition Programs for Kids!
Nearly 30 million children participate in USDA’s school breakfast and lunch programs on an average school day. When school is out for summer, kids lose access to these healthy meals. This puts them at higher risk of hunger and makes it harder for them to get the nutrition they need to learn and grow. USDA now has more flexible strategies for providing kids with food and nutrition support so they can thrive in the summertime and beyond. We’re calling these enhanced offerings SUN Programs: USDA’s Summer Nutrition Programs for Kids and promoting them in 2024 with the “More Summer Smiles” campaign.
USDA’s SUN programs offer convenient, flexible options to help kids reach their full potential through:
1. SUN Meals: Free meals and snacks are available to all kids 18 and under at schools, parks, and other eligible locations. No application needed!
2. SUN Meals To-Go: Meals are now available for pick up or delivered to your home in some rural communities.
3. SUN Bucks: A new grocery benefit that offers families $120 per eligible child in the summer.
Visit the new SUN Programs website to learn more about these programs, and how your family can participate. And spread the word about SUN Programs so kids in your community can get the nutrition they need.
SUN Programs website: https://www.fns.usda.gov/summer
SUN Programs website (Spanish): www.fns.usda.gov/verano
SUN Meals page: https://www.fns.usda.gov/summer/sunmeals
SUN Meals To-Go page: https://www.fns.usda.gov/summer/sunmeals2go
SUN Bucks page: https://www.fns.usda.gov/summer/sunbucks
Check out the new SUN Programs Promotional Toolkit to access free, downloadable materials and resources including social media content, web banners, flyers, posters, newsletter content, and more. Materials are available in multiple languages: https://www.fns.gov/summer/promotion
