How to access free summer meals for children in Springfield schools, other sites
Missouri has created an online interactive map to help families find free meals for children during the summer, when public schools are not in session.
Locally, the primary way is through the Springfield school district, which will provide breakfast and lunch to students on weekdays through the end of June — at no charge in specific buildings.
"We provide meals for free in 17 of our sites," said Kim Keller, general manger of student nutrition.
Children who are not enrolled in the summer program Explore can also access the meals, at no cost.
"They would go to the front office and check in and they would get direction ... where the cafeteria is. That parent could follow them down and sit with them," Keller said. "Parents can purchase a meal (for themselves) if they want to. For adult meals, breakfast is $2.50 and lunch is $4.50."
Keller said most of the meals provided are to students enrolled in the summer program but families who live nearby will also occasionally access the free meals.
"Explore is such a great opportunity for those kids and it ... provides something for those kids to do during the day. Most parents understand what Explore is and enroll their kids now," Keller said.
"It gives them some kind of structure through another four weeks in summertime and also provides much-needed meals, too."
The free meals are provided in these buildings:
Elementary: Bingham, Bissett, Delaware, Fremont, McGregor, Pershing, Pleasant View, Sherwood, Sunshine, Twain, Weaver, Weller, Williams.
Middle school: Jarrett, Pershing, Pipkin, plus a middle school Fine Arts Academy at Parkview High.
How to find summer meal spots online
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services' Summer Food Service Program aims to bridge the gap in the summer for families who rely on public schools to provide meals during a school year.
The grab-and-go options available during the pandemic have dwindled but there are still many options where a child can sit and eat a meal.
Community organizations serve the meals at schools, churches, parks, swimming pools, YMCA facilities, Boys and Girls Clubs, and other spots where children gather when school is not in session.
The meals are provided to all children who attend the meal service location. Children do not have to be registered and there is no fee to participate in the program.
The map can be found at health.mo.gov/sfsp/. More information about each location, including when meals are set to be served, is available online.
For families without access to the internet, summer meal sites in the area can also be found by texting the phrase “Summer Meals” to 914-342-7744.
Meals will be served to children ages 18 and under and individuals ages 18 to 21 who have been determined by a state or local educational agency to be mentally or physically disabled and who participate in an established school program for the mentally or physically disabled.
Funding for the Summer Food Service Program is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
In select spots, SPS meals continue beyond June
The vast majority of Explore locations will provide breakfast and lunch for free. However, under federal guidelines, the free meals are not automatically offered in buildings where less than 50% of students typically qualify for free or reduced price meals.
The amount charged for school breakfast and lunch during the summer in six district buildings — Cherokee, Field, Gray, Hickory Hills, McBride and Wilson's Creek — will be based on their existing meal status. For example, they will pay full price for meals unless they qualify for free or reduced price meals.
"For those six sites, we have extended the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program," Keller said. "That means the students' meal status would follow them."
The in-person Explore classes end in June but the district continues to provide meals July 8 through Aug. 2 at three locations because they are connected to summer programs offered by the Ozarks Regional YMCA or the Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield.
Those locations include Sherwood, Sunshine and Williams elementary schools.
"We're going to feeding those students through the SFSP program," Keller said. "They're considered open sites so students could continue to go there and be fed if they want to."
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Here's where to find free summer meals for kids in Springfield