The Colorado Department of Education today announced that 635 summer meal sites are open statewide to provide meals free of charge to all youth ages 18 and younger. Parents, families, and community members can visit www.kidsfoodfinder.org to find a nearby meal site.
The Summer Meals Program is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered by the Colorado Department of Education’s School Nutrition Unit in partnership with community-based program sponsors. Last year, program sponsors provided more than 1.9 million meals to Colorado youth.
“Many Colorado children rely on their schools for access to food, and our Summer Meals Program provides a critical resource for children and families during the summer months. We are grateful to our 83 community partners for stepping up to serve them, said Colorado Education Commissioner Susana Córdova
Meals are provided free of charge to any youth aged 18 and younger; no registration, identification, or proof of income or enrollment is required to access summer meals.
CDE is working with 82 community organizations that have applied to operate 635 meal sites across the state. In rural areas, some sites allow children to take meals home and others are even offering home delivery options to reach more children.
Any school, nonprofit, government agency, camp, university, or community- or faith-based organization can serve as a summer meals provider, and it’s not too late to get involved. New meal sites are welcome to join the program by partnering with an existing provider anytime throughout the summer. All meals served meet USDA nutrition guidelines.
Finding a meal site is easy—just visit www.kidsfoodfinder.org.
Summer meals are free, healthy, and available to all kids and teens. No sign-up. No ID. Just food.
About the Summer Meals Program:
- Meals are free to all kids and teens 18 years and younger. In rural locations, some meals may be taken home to eat.
- Parents do not need to apply to the program for their children to get free summer meals.
- Organizations that can administer the Summer Meals Program include schools, non-profit organizations, government entities, camps, universities, and community and faith-based organizations.
- Parents and youth can find summer meal sites by visiting www.kidsfoodfinder.org.
- Meals served follow USDA nutrition guidelines.
About the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program:
- Summer EBT provides $120 per eligible school-aged child to buy groceries.
- Funds to purchase groceries are placed on EBT cards.
- The program is led by the Colorado Department of Human Services with support from CDE.
To learn more about Summer EBT, visit ealshttps://cdhs.colorado.gov/summer-ebt
