State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Announces Summer Food Service Program Applications Available February 1, Applications Due by May 15

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has announced that applications will be available for the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) on February 1, 2026. The SFSP and SSO are federally funded, state-administered programs that serve free meals to children eighteen and younger when school is out of session. Summer meals provide children with access to essential nutrition during school closures and summer break. In the summer of 2025, SFSP and SSO operators served more than 15 million meals to children throughout the state.

“Our Summer Meal Programs are a vital support for our students and families, making sure that California children have the nutrition that they need to learn and thrive year-round,” said Superintendent Thurmond. “I am grateful for our partnerships with the many local community organizations that apply and serve as Summer Meal Program operators. Together, we build upon the intent of California’s Universal Meals Program, ensuring that we reach and serve California’s most vulnerable children during the summer months.”

Summer meal sites can be established in communities in which at least 50 percent of the children qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. All meals meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrition requirements, and no paperwork or personal information is required for children to participate. Organizations eligible to participate in Summer Meal Programs (SMPs) include schools, camps, nonprofits, Tribal governments, and government agencies. Applications are due by May 15, 2026.

Sites in rural areas where congregate meal service is not available may apply to operate a non-congregate service. The permanent non-congregate meal service option helps alleviate rural children’s common barriers to meal access, such as transportation during the summer months. Organizations operating in rural communities can deliver meals directly to homes or along bus routes, provide multiple days’ worth of meals at a time, and allow parents or guardians to pick up meals on their children’s behalf.

In addition to the SMPs, the SUN Bucks (Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer) program provides $120 per eligible child to help families buy groceries during the summer months when school is out. Students who receive CalFresh, CalWORKs, or Medi-Cal with income certified at or below 185 percent of the Federal Poverty Level are automatically eligible for SUN Bucks and do not need to apply.

All other students at National School Lunch Program (NSLP) schools must submit NSLP meal applications or Universal Benefit Applications, depending on which application the school district requires, to have their SUN Bucks eligibility determined. Applications for 2026 SUN Bucks are due by August 31, 2026. Families can inquire with their local school if they need to apply.

For more information about the SMPs, visit the California Department of Education (CDE) Summer Meal Programs web page. If your agency is interested in becoming a sponsor or hosting a meal site, including participating in the rural non-congregate meal service option, contact the Summer Nutrition Programs and Grants Unit at SFSP@cde.ca.gov.

You can locate meal sites on the CDE Summer Meal Service Sites web page. In addition, you can locate summer meals from your mobile phone by downloading the CDE CA Meals for Kids mobile application.

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Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100