The CT Summer Meals Program is federally funded by and a part of the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) SUN Programs, intended to feed and nourish kids during the summer. CT Summer Meals is state-administered by the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE). The program provides free, nutritious meals to kids during summer break.
Summer Meals meet federal nutrition guidelines and are composed of milk, fruits, vegetables, grains, and meat or another protein. Summer Meals are offered at hundreds of sites around the state from June to late August, serving combinations of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Meals are free to any child age 18-and-under, no questions asked. Want to help us spread the word? Download our brand guide or contact us here.
A CT Summer Meals Web Button is an image you can add to your website that promotes free, federal Summer Meals Programs for kids 18-and-under in Connecticut. The image is hyperlinked to the CT Summer Meals Site Locator Map at www.ctsummermeals.org. The Map is a searching tool that uses an address, town, or zip code to locate and show all Summer Meals locations and lists all pertinent information (hours, meals served, etc.). Families can input an address to find information about meal sites closest to them.
Make sure any links and materials being shared are for this calendar year. If you have questions, please contact us.
HOW DO I ADD A SUMMER MEALS BUTTON TO MY WEBSITE?
CT Summer Meals is a program federally funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and administered by the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE). It provides children and teens 18 years-old and under with nutritious meals during the summer at no-cost, no ID required or questions asked, as well as people under 21 older with disabilities participating in an eligible state education program. Meal sites can be found all over Connecticut from now to August while school is out. The program typically distributes more than 1.75 million meals to over 37,000 children at over 600 locations statewide, according to data from the CSDE. CT Summer Meals is federally-funded and part of the USDA’s SUN Programs: Summer Nutrition Programs for Kids.
You can find your nearest open meal site by using our meal site locator map. Just scroll down the page until you see the map, enter your location, and find what meal sites are near you! The map is updated regularly throughout the summer from late June to mid August, so check back regularly for sites near you.
No, End Hunger CT! does not provide meals directly. EHC!’s focus is outreach and spreading awareness for food assistance programs such as CT Summer Meals. While EHC! does not directly provide food, we help Connecticut residents find and access food assistance programs near them! End Hunger CT! Is able to provide statewide outreach – including our Meal Site Locator Map at ctsummermeals.org – for the CT Summer Meals program in partnership with Connecticut Foodshare and the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE).
No, ANY Connecticut child can pick up a meal regardless of a family’s situation. While this program does help fight childhood hunger and food insecurity while school is out, it is available to all children 18 and under and people with disabilities 21 and under participating in an eligible state education program, no questions asked, regardless of socioeconomic status. We want to encourage all children to come!
No – children do not have to be accompanied by an adult in order to receive a meal.
No sign-up is necessary for the CT Summer Meals program. Simply take your child/children to an open meal site near you and receive a meal for your child/children at no cost, no questions asked!
As of Summer 2023, children must eat on-site via USDA regulations at most meal site locations. The one exception is at meal sites that are deemed Rural Non-Congregate (the purple pins on our map at ctsummermeals.org); only these sites are allowed to offer grab and go meals that do not need to be consumed onsite starting Summer 2023.
You can go and receive a meal from a CT Summer Meals site for your child daily if you would like to, no questions asked. Some sites serve a combination of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
Unfortunately, no, the CT Summer Meals program is only intended for children 18 and under and those under 21 with disabilities participating in an eligible state education program. Food resources for adults can be found by calling 211 or visiting 211ct.org.
End Hunger CT! Is not involved in the meal site application or approval process. Agencies interested in becoming a summer meals site should reach out to the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) directly for information.
If you’re an agency or organization that works with kids and/or families, you can reach out to us at [email protected] to request printed materials. Our Social Media Toolkit is also available at ctsummermeals.org to help you create content to post on social media that fits our brand identity. Lastly, word of mouth is a very powerful tool, so if you know anyone that would benefit from the CT Summer Meals program or would be a good partner, we encourage you to let them know about ctsummermeals.org!
