Afterschool Meals

Afterschool programs keep young people safe, help working families, and engage children in learning—but they also can nourish young people during the hours when school's out.  Afterschool meals are an effective way to reduce childhood hunger and promote a healthy childhood weight.  In 2012, 16 million children (22 percent) under the age of 18 lived in poverty and were exposed to hunger.

Be an Afterschool Meal Champion and help ensure that children in need have access to a nutritious meal during the afterschool hours.

         Did you know?

• Making afterschool meals available helps combat the hunger and food insecurity that affects more than 15 million children in the United States.
• There is a federal program that can help you serve afterschool meals for free by providing funding for eligible children. Signing up is easy!
• Offering afterschool meals increases participation in afterschool programs.  The availability of nutritious food improves effectiveness of enrichment activities.
• For every 500 eligible children participating, a program is reimbursed more than $250,000 in funding annually.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers three different nutrition assistance programs that can help afterschool and summer

 learning providers offer nutritious meals or snacks to participating children:

1. The At-Risk Afterschool Meals Program through the Child and Adult Care Feeding Programs (CACFP) provides children and teenagers the nutrition they need, and can draw them into constructive activities that are safe, fun, and filled with opportunities for learning.
2. The Afterschool Snack Program can be operated by school nutrition departments through the National School Lunch Program or CACFP.
3. The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is a USDA-administered program designed to fill the nutrition gap left during the summer months and make sure children can get the nutritious meals they need. Our survey of afterschool and summer program providers shows that these programs are an important source of food for the kids they serve, and takes a look at the important role SFSP plays in bringing healthy snacks and meals to kids in need.

Afterschool and Summer Meals Resources

• CACFP At-Risk Afterschool Meals Handbook by USDA, updated July 2013
• Out-of-School-Time Nutrition Options from USDA
• Afterschool Meals Guide by FRAC  
• Moving from Afterschool Snack to a Meal: It is easier than you think! by FRAC
• Brochure: Start Serving Meals at your Afterschool Program by FRAC 
• CACFP At-Risk Afterschool Meals Best Practices by USDA, 2011
• Afterschool Meals Case Studies:
  • Hickman Mills C-1 Schools (MO) by SNA
  • DC Public Schools by DC Hunger Solutions
  • more model programs from FRAC
• Strengthening Physical Activity and Nutrition Programs in Afterschool archived webinar 
• Conference call series on Summer and Afterschool Meals Program by FRAC
• Afterschool meal program resources from No Kid Hungry
• Afterschool Meals: It's About More than Breakfast and Lunch PowerPoint presentation from July 2012 
• Afterschool Meals AmeriCorps*VISTA project: In 11 states across the nation, AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers participating in a unique Afterschool Alliance project are working to extend the reach of afterschool programs in their states and communities. 
• Afterschool Snack blog posts on wellness, nutrition and physical activity.