By Paul Bean
An initiative to feed Vermont families has been getting attention online as the state continues to provide free meals to all families throughout the summer without financial qualifications.
Launched under Act 64, Vermont’s permanent ‘Universal Free Meals Law’ enacted in 2022, has been extended throughout the summer.
On the Social Media app Tik Tok, a Vermont woman highlighted the program’s accessibility. “Did you know all Vermont families can get free meals this summer, no questions asked?” While showing the food she had received from her local meal center, including Cabot cheese, milk, sun chips, teddy grams, and more…”It’s amazing how easy it is to feed my kids for free all summer long,” she added.
The program, which extends beyond the school year through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Seamless Summer Option (SSO), is federally funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and administered by the Vermont Agency of Education.
“The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) provides free meals to children in low-income areas through eligible organizations, primarily in the summer months when most schools are closed for instruction,” says the USDA website. “In fiscal year (FY) 2023, the program served a total of 136 million meals at a cost of about $547 million. In July 2023, the month when SFSP operations typically peak, the program provided meals to 2.2 million children each day across more than 35,000 sites.”
“At summer meal sites, all children 0-18 eat for free–no paperwork, no registration, no I.D. needed! We help communities establish and grow their summer meal programs through individualized support and outreach,” says the website of Hunger Free Vermont, a non-profit working to end hunger in Vermont.
“Summer meal sites provide meals to all children, 18 and under,” said Toren Ballard, Director of Policy and Communications Vermont Agency of Education, by email to VDC. “In addition to children 18 and under, persons over 18 years of age who are determined by a State educational agency or a local public educational agency to be mentally or physically disabled and who participate in a public or nonprofit private school program established for the mentally or physically disabled are also eligible to receive summer meals.”
Act 64’s appropriation for Universal School Meals was $29 million (FY 2024). The pricetag is adjusted annually for inflation. It is unclear how much Vermont is spending on the summer meals share of the Universal School Meals program. Act 64 says the state and the federal government have to together to pay for it. The federal government gives some money, and Vermont pays the rest to make sure all meals are free. Last year, about 80,000 kids were eligible for the program.
Act 64 also mandates that public schools offer free meals year-round, with state funding covering the difference between paid and free reimbursement rates. This summer, the state boosted funding by 10% to address inflation.
“Proud to be a Vermont State Senator who has voted repeatedly to support the program,” writes State Senator Becca White (D.Windham Co.) in response to the post on Tik Tok.
“I live in a very affluent district, in a very affluent town…it’s not income based, you just sign up. And there’s this stigma, ‘oh I don’t want to take it from people who need it more…’ This isn’t poor people who only need it. This is because you have a child, under the age of 18.” explains one mom on a Tik Tok Video. “Like when does that happen? Go make use of this. Absolutely free.”
According to the Vermont Agency of Education, over 80,000 children benefited from summer meals in 2024—a 15% increase from the previous year. Hunger Free Vermont, a nonprofit advocating for food security, reports that regular meal access during the summer reduced learning loss, with a 20% improvement in fall test scores for participating children in 2023.
One mom shows off her haul for her five children.
Meal sites range from schools to community centers and are reimbursed sponsors based on the number of eligible meals served, with rural and self-operated sites receiving higher rates to address logistical challenges.