SPRINGFIELD – There may still be a lot of winter left but the Illinois State Board of Education is already thinking ahead to the summer break and how children will continue to have access to healthy meals. ISBE is launching the search for new Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sponsors and sites to help bring free nutritious meals to children across the state.
School districts, community organizations, churches, camps, park districts, and others helped serve more than 3.1 million meals last summer through SFSP, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered by ISBE. There were 133 SFSP sponsors and 1,560 meal sites in 53 of the 102 counties in Illinois.
“We know that many students depend on the meals they get at school every day. The end of the school year can bring a lot of uncertainly when it comes to food for children and their families.” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen I. Ayala. “We are always looking for additional help to reach more children that are in need of nutritional meals during the summer months.”
Organizations interested in participating in ISBE’s Summer Food Service Program in 2023 can obtain more information by calling ISBE’s Nutrition Department at 800-545-7892, emailing cnp@isbe.net, or visiting the ISBE SFSP webpage. School Food Authorities can also participate in the similar Seamless Summer Option (SSO) program to provide meals during the summer. SSO is an option for districts already operating the National School Lunch Program.
SFSP provides funding to public or private nonprofit Local Education Agencies; entities of state, local, municipal, or county government; residential camps; organizations with 501(c)(3) status; and faith-based organizations to serve nutritious meals to children during the summer months when schools are not in session.
Families in need of meals should contact their school if they have questions about available meal services during the summer months. Families also can call 800-359-2163, text “FOOD” (or “COMIDA”) to 304-304, or visit SummerMealsIllinois.org to find nearby meal sites not located at their school that are open to all children and youth age 18 and under. ISBE partners with the Illinois Hunger Coalition and No Kid Hungry and to operate the hotline and text service.
Learn more about ISBE Child Nutrition Programs on the ISBE nutrition page.
Non-Discrimination Statement
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language) should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a complainant should complete a Form AD-3027 USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained at https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling 866-632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
- Mail:
S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or - Fax: 833-256-1665 or 202-690-7442; or
- Email: program.intake@usda.gov