Illinois State Board of Education issued the following announcement on Feb. 1.
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) announced today that Illinois schools have served 113,000,626 school meals since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. ISBE is now seeking additional school districts, community organizations, churches, camps, park districts, and others to serve as Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sponsors to help Illinois continue to ensure all children have access to healthy meals year-round.
View the number of meals served by county here
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“When the pandemic struck, schools across the state made it a top priority to continue serving free meals to students learning at home," said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen I. Ayala. “Thanks to the tireless work of our school nutrition teams, we've served more than 113 million meals since the start of the pandemic. I have been amazed by the creative ways our schools have served meals during this time of crisis. I encourage other organizations that want to be of service to our children and families in need to serve as summer meals sponsors."
Organizations interested in participating in ISBE's summer meals programs for summer 2021 can obtain more information by calling ISBE's Nutrition Department at (800) 545-7892, emailing cnp@isbe.net, or visiting www.isbe.net/Pages/Summer-Food-Service-Program.aspx.
Families in need of meals should contact their school if they have questions about available meal services. Families can also call (800) 359-2163, text “FoodIL" to 877-877, or visit www.fns.usda.gov/meals4kids to find nearby meal sites that are open to all children and youth age 18 and under. ISBE partners with No Kid Hungry and the Illinois Hunger Coalition to operate this hotline, which refers families to the nearest summer meals serving sites.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, schools have utilized flexibilities provided by the federal government via the SFSP to offer free meals to all children and youth age 18 and younger and to provide multiple days' worth of meals at a time via delivery and/or parent/guardian pickup. Normally, schools offer paid, free, and reduced-priced meals during the school year via the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and other school nutrition programs. The federal flexibilities are currently in place through June 30, 2021. Visit the USDA's website for a list of COVID-19 Child Nutrition Programs waivers and flexibilities.
The Summer Food Service Program is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered by ISBE in partnership with local organizations across the state. The program provides funding to public or private nonprofit Local Education Agencies; entities of state, local, municipal, or county government; residential camps; organizations with 501(c)(3) status; and faith-based organizations to serve nutritious meals to children during the summer months when schools are not in session.
Learn more about ISBE Nutrition Programs at www.isbe.net/Nutrition
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