Summer Food Program Underway

Each school day over 400,000 low-income school children receive a nutritious lunch at their school. Now that school is in recess for the summer, what do these children eat?

In communities where it is available, the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) helps. Last summer it served lunch to 116,692 children a day during the month of July. But what about the other 300,000 children? Were their parents able to fill the gap?

No one is sure of the answer to that question. However, most charitable food providers report increased need during the summer months, a sure indication that family grocery budgets are under stress.

A big help would be an expansion of the SFSP. The Program is entirely federally funded and there is no limit on the dollars available. In other words, the resources are there to provide a nutritious lunch to many more children. Why aren't we doing that?

Sue Still supervises the SFSP for the PA Department of Education (PDE). Still reports that Pennsylvania participation has actually declined in recent years. And she says the key to increasing participation is more sponsors to run the Program at the local level.

Currently about 169 local organizations participate - groups such as the Salvation Army in Beaver Falls, the Boys Club in Lancaster, the Parks and Recreation Department in Pottstown, the Economic Development Commission in Wilkes-Barre, the Westmoreland County Commissioners, the YWCA of Bradford, and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Such groups serve lunch to children at approximately 2,600 locations. But in many communities the Program isn't available because no local group has stepped forward to handle the details.

Still states that PDE has made an effort to attract more sponsors. School districts, with their fully equipped kitchens, trained staff and familiarity with federal paperwork requirements, are the prime target of the PDE recruitment effort. To date, Still reports that the efforts to attract more school district participation have met with more positive responses than in prior years. The new At-Risk supper and snack program has attracted more sponsors to the Child and Adult Care Food Program. Many of these sponsors are trying SFSP for the first time this summer. However, there are still areas where local sponsors are needed.

Why don't more local charities take on the Program? The primary barrier appears to be concern that the administrative fee for running the Program is not adequate to cover actual costs. Congress cut that fee by 10 percent in 1996 as part of bringing the federal budget into balance. Despite the current federal surpluses, Congress has never restored the 1996 cuts.

Pennsylvania's difficulties with the Program reflect national trends. However, states that have invested their own funds (such as Texas, Massachusetts, Washington and Vermont) have bucked that trend and have showed substantial growth.

Who serves summer lunch to hungry low-income children in your community? Does your local school district sponsor the SFSP? Do private charities? For all those who care about children, these are important questions. Call Vincent Matusheski (1-800-331-0129) or Hunger Action (717-233-6705) for more information.

Back to Top