State Strategies for Summer Nutrition

Children with limited or uncertain access to meals experience more health-related behavioral and academic challenges than their peers. Federally funded summer nutrition programs are designed to ensure low-income students receive healthy meals all summer long. Yet more than 80 percent of the children who qualify for such summer meal programs do not participate. State boards can do two things to expand the reach of summer nutrition programs: They can support the adoption of state mandates for participation, and they can partner with other state organizations to improve community outreach.