The Summer Meals Study provides a comprehensive, nationally representative assessment of the two summer meal programs operated by USDA: the Summer Food Service Program and the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option. It is the first national study to simultaneously examine the facilitators and barriers to program participation among participating and nonparticipating families, sponsors, and sites. This study examines the characteristics of participating and nonparticipating children, including sociodemographic characteristics, household food security status, reasons for participation or nonparticipation, and satisfaction with the meals served to children in the summer of 2018. 

FNS is offering a suite of operational flexibilities that will be available to child nutrition programs for summer 2022 and school year 2022-23.

This memorandum provides guidance to state agencies as they transition from COVID-19 nationwide waivers related to establishment of area eligibility in the child nutrition programs for summer 2022 and SY 2022-23.

FNS is offering this comparison table to assist state agencies and program operators as they transition from operations under COVID-19 nationwide waivers to operations designed around their own unique circumstances.

This memorandum provides clarification on questions related to the collection of race or ethnicity data now that visual identification of race and ethnicity is no longer an allowable practice in the Summer Food Service Program and Child and Adult Care Food Program.

A webinar for state agencies about tools available to aid in the transition back to normal child nutrition program operations.

Summer 2022 and SY 2022-23 child nutrition programs waiver checklist.