Free Summer Meals for Kids
When school is out for the summer, the USDA Summer Food Service Program feeds kids free. No application. No enrollment. No income check. Every kid 18 or under can walk up to a participating site and eat. Here’s how it works.
Updated 2026 · USDA SFSP · Find summer sites near you →
Who can eat
Any child or teen age 18 or younger. Adults with certain disabilities continue to qualify past 18. You don’t enroll — you just show up during meal hours, and your child eats.
No paperwork, no questions. Sites aren’t allowed to ask for income info, ID, citizenship, or anything else. If a site asks, it’s operating outside USDA rules — try a different one.
What meals are served
Most sites serve either breakfast + lunch or lunch + snack. A typical summer meal includes:
- Protein (milk, cheese, yogurt, meat alternative)
- Whole grain (bread, cereal, rice, pasta)
- Fresh fruit + vegetable
- Milk with the meal
USDA rules require meals to meet child-nutrition standards — the same standards as school-year breakfast and lunch.
Where to find a site
Three ways, in order of speed:
- Search our map. Enter your ZIP and select the “Summer meals” filter. We have 29,000+ verified summer sites across every state.
- Text FOOD (or COMIDA) to 304-304. USDA’s Summer Meals text line sends you the 3 nearest sites.
- Call the USDA National Hunger Hotline: 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479) or 1-877-8-HAMBRE (Spanish). Humans answer 7am–10pm ET weekdays during the summer.
Common site types
- Schools — Your kid’s school likely runs a summer program — check even if they don’t attend that school. Most are open to all.
- Parks + recreation centers — Often run meal programs during their summer camps — even for kids not enrolled in camp.
- Libraries — Many public libraries serve lunch during story time or afternoon programs.
- Churches + community centers — Smaller operations, often with extra activities (crafts, games, reading).
- Mobile meal vans — Especially in rural areas — a van shows up at a trailer park, apartment complex, or bus stop on a schedule.
What if there’s no site near us?
Two fallbacks:
- Sun Bucks / Summer EBT — a newer program that puts $120 per child on an EBT card for the summer, specifically for families whose kids got free or reduced school lunch. Most states now participate. USDA Summer EBT →
- Local food pantries often increase distribution during summer months. Search our map.
Find summer meals now
29,000+ verified sites. No enrollment. No cost.
Search summer meals Text FOOD to 304-304
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