Hunger Doesn’t Take A Vacation: Summer Nutrition Status Report 2024
August 22, 2024
FRAC’s latest report, Hunger Doesn’t Take a Vacation: Summer Nutrition Status Report 2024, reveals a drop in the number of children receiving nutrition over the summer following the loss of pandemic-era waivers.
This report measures the reach of the Summer Nutrition Programs in July 2023, nationally and in each state, compared to July 2022. It is based on a variety of metrics, including average weekday July lunch and breakfast participation in the Summer Nutrition Programs, and examines the impact of trends and policies on program participation.
Why It Matters
The Summer Nutrition Programs1 are designed to replace the school breakfasts and lunches that millions of children lose access to when the school year ends. These programs play a vital role in helping to reduce food insecurity. Many summer meals sites also provide important educational and enrichment activities that keep children learning, engaged, active, and safe during summer break.
Key Findings
- Just over 2.8 million children participated in the Summer Nutrition Programs on an average day in July 2023.
- Participation in summer lunch decreased by 5.7 percent in July 2023 compared to July 2022.
- In July 2023, 15.3 children received a summer lunch for every 100 who received a free or reduced-price school lunch during the 2022–2023 school year.
- Participation in lunch in July 2023 was slightly higher than pre-pandemic levels: 30,533 additional children participated in July 2023 when compared to July 2019 (the last summer before the pandemic).
- 5 million children participated in breakfast in July 2023, 287,096 fewer children than in July 2022.
- The number of SFSP sponsors and sites increased from July 2022 to July 2023. Nationally, 4,671 sponsors (an increase of 119 sponsors from 2022) and 35,578 sites (an increase of 21 sites from 2022) participated in July 2023.
- The number of SFSP sponsors and sites operating in July 2023 was lower than that of pre-pandemic levels. When comparing July 2023 and July 2019, there is a decrease of 876 sponsors and 11,967 sites.
State Findings
- One state met the FRAC’s goal of reaching 40 children with summer lunch for every 100 children who received a school lunch during the 2022–2023 regular school year: Vermont (54.4 of 100). This could be a result of states adjusting to the end of pandemic-era waivers for summer meals and challenges in implementing the new rural non-congregate option.
- The top state performers were: Vermont (54.4 of 100), New Mexico (32.3 of 100), Maine (31.8 of 100), Montana (29.7 out of 100), New Jersey (29.5 out of 100), and New York (29.0 out of 100).
- Thirty-nine states provided summer lunch to fewer than one child for every five children who participated in free or reduced-price school lunch during the 2022–2023 school year.
- 28 states and the District of Columbia saw a decrease in the average daily participation in the Summer Nutrition Programs in July 2023 compared to July 2022.
New Opportunities to Reduce Summer Hunger
Summer 2024 offers important opportunities to increase access to summer nutrition through efforts to support and expand summer programming, the provision of non-congregate meals in unserved rural areas, and the permanent Summer EBT Program. Maximizing the opportunities that are available this summer and beyond will be critical to ensuring that children have the nutrition, and the education and enrichment programming, they need to return to school well-nourished and ready to learn. Now is the time to recommit to ending summer hunger.
Summer EBT
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 created a nationwide, permanent Summer EBT Program that builds on the success of Summer EBT demonstration projects.
Summer EBT — which provides families with eligible children grocery benefits to purchase food — was piloted to test new ways to reach children during the summer due to the limited access children had to summer meals and the seasonal increase in food insecurity in households with school-age children. Evaluations of Summer EBT have shown that it reduces food insecurity and improves nutrition. Families in participating states will receive $120 per eligible child beginning in summer 2024.
Summer EBT complements the existing Summer Nutrition Programs; together, these two programs work to decrease summer hunger.
Non-Congregate in Rural Areas
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 included a permanent non-congregate meals service option for rural areas. The goal of this option is to fill gaps in rural communities that do not have congregate meals sites.
USDA issued an Interim Final Rule in December 2023, which supports the implementation of rural non-congregate meals service and expands the definition of rural, allowing more communities to provide non-congregate meals in summer 2024.
Summer Meals Remain the Gold Standard
As Summer EBT / SUN Bucks and the rural non-congregate option roll out, it is important that providing summer meals in combination with education and enrichment programming at sites remains the gold standard. Summer meals sites provide a place for children to socialize, learn, and be engaged while receiving a healthy meal, which can help counter both summer hunger and summer learning loss. Summer programming can also help foster social and emotional learning.
On the federal level, Congress can make important improvements by allowing more communities to offer summer meals, streamlining program requirements so that sites can operate year-round, and allowing all sites to provide three meals a day. They can also provide additional funding to support summer programs, including through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program.
Read FRAC’s full report HUNGER DOESN’T TAKE A VACATION: Summer Nutrition Status Report.