FNS Documents & Resources

The Summer Food for Children Demonstrations are a series of projects to develop and test methods of providing access to food for low-income children in urban and rural areas during the summer months when schools are not in regular session.

Learn more about COVID-19 food safety resources available to FNS program operators including new resources for school nutrition professionals from the Institute of Child Nutrition. 

This memorandum is meant to provide clarification and guidance on policies and procedures for donated food storage and distribution as they relate to product dating.

Ethylene Gas - Part of a five-video series,  available in English and Spanish, offers “tricks of the trade” to help food service operators keep produce safe and at a high quality. 

The evaluation analyzed administrative data acquired from the six States that participated in the 2012 Enhanced Summer Food Service Program (eSFSP) Demonstrations to examine the impact of the demonstrations on participation. It found that the impacts on participation were mixed. For the Backpack demonstration, sites in one State increased the number of children and meals served, sites in another State served more meals but did not increase the number of children served, and both meals and children served decreased in the third State. Analysis of the Meal Delivery demonstration indicates the demonstration likely increased the number of children served.

The evaluation used interviews and site visits to capture implementation strategies and stakeholders’ views of the 2012 Enhanced Summer Food Service Program (eSFSP) demonstrations. Results indicated that sites used different strategies for recruitment and outreach; the types of food delivered; training; and technical assistance. Site administrators felt that previous experience operating an SFSP site; good use of partnerships, volunteers, consultants, and activities to make the projects family friendly; a focus on healthful eating; and careful use of resources for efficiency were important to successful implementation. Also, both participating families and site operators felt the demonstrations were an important resource to address summer hunger.

The evaluation examined the impact of a $30 per child per month benefit on child, adult and household food security relative to a $60 monthly benefit. It found that the $30 benefit was as effective in reducing the most severe category of food insecurity among children during the summer as the $60 benefit.

Summer 2011 SFSP Home Delivery and Food Backpacks Demonstration Projects Request for Applications and Questions and Answers

The 2010 Agricultural, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Act enabled FNS to initiate and carry out the Summer Food for Children demonstration projects, aimed at preventing food insecurity and hunger among children during summer months. 

Authorized under the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, the Summer EBT for Children demonstrations rigorously test and evaluate the extent to which the use of electronic benefits technologies can be used to reduce food insecurity among children eligible for assistance through the National School Lunch and Summer Food Service programs.