Changes coming to summer meals program for summer 2024

While snow is on the ground in many parts of the country, it is not too early to think about summer learning and enrichment program planning, and how to ensure nutritious meals are part of all comprehensive summer learning programs. On December 29, 2023, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) published an interim final rule amending the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the National School Lunch Program’s Seamless Summer Option (SSO) regulations to codify the flexibility for rural program operators to provide non-congregate meal service in the SFSP and SSO. This rule also establishes regulations and codifies the Summer EBT Program in the Code of Federal Regulations. Comments are being taken on the rule until April 29.

The policy and program changes, allowing summer meals to be delivered to children’s homes or to be picked up by eligible families in rural communities where no summer feeding site is present, are a result of language included in the FY 2023 spending bill that passed in December 2022. The bill required the Secretary of Agriculture to give states the option to provide summer meals in rural areas where there is no summer meals site; and to establish a permanent summer electronic benefits transfer for children program (Summer EBT).

The interim final rule means the Summer Food Service Program now has three ways for families with children in need to get meals during the summer:

• In-person summer meal sites: (traditional/existing program) Meals served and eaten onsite at community centers, schools, and other central locations remain a vital part of the summer nutrition programs, providing a sense of community and valuable enrichment opportunities for children up to age 18.
• Alternate meal service options for rural communities: (new non-congregate program) In rural communities when and where in-person meal service at a summer program site is not available, summer meal operators now have the option to provide meals via grab-n-go or delivery, also known as non-congregate meal service. State agencies that oversee child nutrition programs will provide direction on this option, and this option should only happen where there is no program site serving meals.
• Summer grocery benefits: Starting in summer 2024, states, territories, and tribes can provide benefits — officially called Summer EBT — to families of eligible children for purchasing food in the summer months at authorized retailers. State have to opt in to allow this option and so far at least 15 states have opted not to participate. View the full list of participating states.

Summer learning and enrichment program providers should contact their state agency or statewide afterschool network to learn more about the program changes and what is allowable in their state. Program providers that have previously been unable to serve rural communities due to lack of sites or transportation should explore the new alternate meal service option for rural communities, and may be able to both continue to serve meals at existing sites and expand to offer meal pick u[p or delivery to areas not served by program sites. While not required by the USDA Summer Meals program, providers that do deliver meals or allow meal pick up should consider providing ‘programming on the go’ or virtual programming for children who get meals remotely.