Guest blog: Summer food participation grows across the nation

This guest blog was co-written by Signe Anderson and Kate Sims. Anderson is a Senior Child Nutrition Policy Analyst and Sims is a Child Nutrition Policy Analyst, both with the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). 

The summer of 2013 was an encouraging one for the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Last summer marked the first significant increase in the number of low-income students participating in summer meal programs in a decade.  A new report released by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) finds that summer meal participation nationally reached nearly three million students on an average day in July of 2013, up 161,000 children or 5.7 percent from 2012.  

This national increase in children eating summer meals provides welcome momentum for SFSP, and a safety net for struggling families. Each year when the school year comes to a close, millions of low-income children lose access to the school meals they rely on during the academic year. Providing adequate nutrition during the summer, along with structured activities often held in conjunction with the meals served, helps prevent learning loss and allows students to stay healthy and active so they return to school in the fall ready to learn.

Even though the summer is about to start, there’s still a lot that can be done to build on the progress that’s been made and accelerate it even more. This week marks USDA’s Summer Food Awareness Week, which aims to raise the visibility of the SFSP nationwide. USDA continues to promote the program through its “Summer Food Rocks” campaign, including the launch of a free Web-based application that features a site locator and search tool, and works on devices such as iPads, iPhones, Blackberrys, and Androids.

Everyone can help increase awareness and participation in summer meals. Here's how you can help:

Elected officials: Elected officials can speak up about SFSP and get the word out to their constituents by posting information about summer food on their websites or sharing in their newsletters. They can visit summer meal sites in their districts, and work with partners to increase the number of sites where children can go for summer meals.

Schools and summer learning programs: School districts can sponsor summer meal sites at their schools and summer learning programs throughout the summer, open these sites to the surrounding communities, work with partners in the community to ensure there are enough sites, or even contract with local sponsors to vend meals to them. School districts and summer learning programs can also let parents know about nearby summer nutrition program sites to which they can take their children.

Parks: Local parks departments can become SFSP sponsors and set up their meal sites at their parks and local community centers.  Parks are great places for summer meal sites because they provide outdoor space for physical activities and a variety of enrichment programs.