Afterschool Supper Participation Increased but Remains Low 

Key Findings 

• 1.23 million children were served an afterschool supper on an average school day in October 2023. 
• Participation in afterschool suppers remained low when compared to pre-pandemic levels, serving 193,731 less children in October 2023 than in October 2019. 
• Participation in afterschool suppers increased by 73,878 children, or 6.4 percent, in October 2023 when compared to October 2022. 
• Just 1 child for every 16 children who received a free or reduced price school lunch in October 2023 was served by the Afterschool Supper Program. 
• 1.25 million children were served an afterschool snack, an increase of 63,112 children from October 2022. 
• 942,235 through NSLP and 308,007 through CACFP. 
• 46,308 sites served afterschool suppers and/or snacks in 2023, an increase of 8,075 sites from 2022.  
• Participation was higher in CACFP (26,969 sites) compared to NSLP (19,339 sites). 
• There was a 23.1 percent increase (5,062 sites) in CACFP afterschool sites and a 18.5 percent increase (3,013) in NSLP afterschool sites. 

Policy Recommendations 

1. Streamline the Afterschool Meal Program and Summer Nutrition Programs 

Many community-based organizations and local government agencies that run the Afterschool Meal Program under the Child and Adult Care Food Program also provide summer meals to the same children through the Summer Food Service Program. This requires sponsors to manage two separate programs with different eligibility criteria and requirements to offer meals year-round. Consolidating these into a single year-round program under SFSP would reduce redundant paperwork and support sponsors in serving more children effectively. During part of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools and sponsors could operate both programs simultaneously, providing up to three meals and a snack per day while schools were closed. The Omnibus in 2022 directed the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to consider allowing sponsors in good standing to submit a single application to operate both CACFP and SFSP. While this is a step toward streamlining, further efforts are needed to fully integrate these two programs. 

2. Allow School Food Authorities to Serve Suppers Through NSLP 

Under the National School Lunch Program, schools are limited to providing snacks after school. To offer a full meal instead of just a snack, or to serve children on weekends and school holidays, schools must operate CACFP, which imposes a significant and unnecessary administrative burden. This often results in schools only providing snacks. To address this issue, any future Child Nutrition Reauthorization should streamline the Afterschool Nutrition Programs by allowing schools to provide up to a meal and a snack any day during the regular school year through the NSLP, similar to the f lexibility offered through CACFP. 

3. Lower Area Eligibility Threshold 

To participate in CACFP's afterschool programs, sites must demonstrate they are in a low-income area where at least 50 percent of children are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. While NSLP sites can use individual student eligibility, this method does not provide free reimbursement for snacks, making it financially less feasible. The current 50 percent threshold excludes many communities with less concentrated poverty, such as rural and suburban areas. During the pandemic, the requirement to meet the 50 percent threshold was waived, which increased access and reduced administrative burdens. Lowering the eligibility threshold to 40 percent would enhance access to suppers across all states and align site eligibility with the 40 percent threshold used for 21st Century Community Learning Centers programs and Title I schools. 

Conclusion 

While participation in afterschool suppers slightly increased and participation in snacks was mostly maintained in October 2023 when compared to October 2022, participation levels remain below pre-pandemic levels. In October 2023, 1.23 million children, received a supper each school day, a decrease of 193,731 (14 percent) from October 2019.1 

Even prior to the pandemic, afterschool suppers were falling short: Only 1.42 million children, less than one child for every 10 who received a free or reduced-price school lunch, received a supper on an average day in October 2019.15 As afterschool programs have yet to fully recover to previous levels, Congress should take steps to improve access to suppers by lowering area eligibility requirements, thus allowing more communities to participate; streamlining the programs for schools and summer food sponsors to reduce the unnecessary and duplicative administrative burden that reduces their participation; and increasing federal funding for afterschool programs, which is crucial to provide access to these programs to more children from households with low incomes. 

As sponsors and afterschool programs continue to adapt and recover from the challenges of the past four years, the lessons learned both before and during the pandemic must be applied to strengthen and streamline these programs. Now is the time to make afterschool suppers and programs more accessible. Alongside Congressional action, enhanced outreach, technical assistance, and a renewed commitment to expanding programs, can help ensure that all children have equitable access to the nutrition and learning opportunities they need after school. 

 

Read the full report Afterschool Suppers: A Snapshot of Participation – October 2023.