Summary
Until 2020, meals served through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) of the National School Lunch Program were required to be eaten in a congregate setting on the meal site premises. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we allowed state agencies to waive the congregate meal service requirement for Child Nutrition (CN) program operators through temporary authority granted by congress under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 (FFRCA). The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 permanently authorized a non-congregate meal service option for operators of SFSP and SSO in qualifying rural areas, beginning in summer 2023.
This preliminary evaluation sought to understand (a) sponsors’ perceptions of the impacts of the non-congregate meal service option, (b) how sponsors implemented non-congregate meal service in summer 2023, and (c) sponsors’ plans for summer 2024 non-congregate meal service. Some program rules were modified for summer 2024 and beyond.
Methods
In March and April 2024, the FNS Office of Policy Support sent a 20-minute web survey to all 942 contacts (“sponsors”) provided by agencies in 45 states and Puerto Rico. Of 942 sponsors, 556 responded to the survey (59 percent).
Key Findings
- Overall, sponsors of summer non-congregate meal service sites in 2023 viewed the program positively, indicating that they were able to provide more meals to more children at a cost less than or equal to congregate meal service.
- Sponsors provided non-congregate meals through meal pick up (79%), meal delivery (6%) or a combination of both (15%). Most also used at least one other available flexibility (parent/guardian pick up (74%), multi-day meal issuance (59%), bulk food distribution (32%)).
- Most sponsors (86%) planned to sponsor non-congregate meal sites in summer 2024. One fifth (19%) planned to expand non-congregate meal service by adding more sites and/or serving more meals.