Summer Food Service Program

Find free meals and snacks for children under 18 when school is out for the summer.

Find Free Meals for Children During the Summer

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) provides free meals and snacks to children under 18 when school is out for the summer.

SFSP meals and snacks are served free at participating program sites. Sites may be located in a variety of settings, including schools, parks, community centers, camps, libraries, apartment complexes, or churches. They may also offer enrichment opportunities for children, such as reading, physical activity, or nutrition education.

Use the map below to find a site near you today.

Free Summer Meals for Children

Free meals and snacks are available for children this summer at over 200 easy-to-access locations throughout Chicago and Cook County. Use this map to find a site near you. Sites may be added throughout the summer.

Who is Eligible?

Income Requirement

There is no income requirement to participate in open site summer meal programs.

Certain summer meal sites such as camps or closed programs that require an application to participate may ask about income during the application process.

Age Requirement

Children age 18 or under at the start of the prior school year.

Citizenship Requirement

No citizenship requirement.

Are You Eligible for EBT/Link?

Summer EBT, also known as SUN Bucks, provides families with a monthly grocery benefit to feed their eligible children during summer months (June, July and August) when kids are not receiving free or reduced-price meals at school.

Learn More & Apply

What Else Do I Need to Know?

Yes. You can get Summer EBT even if your child is getting free meals at school, camp, or other places this summer.

Summer EBT, also known as SUN Bucks, provides families with a monthly grocery benefit to feed their eligible children during summer months (June, July and August) when kids are not receiving free or reduced-price meals at school.

Families receive a one-time benefit of $120 for the summer for each eligible child. Benefits are distributed on an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card and can be used at authorized retail locations, including some farmers’ markets.

Learn more and get help applying.

Some summer meal programs are open to anyone.

Open sites are meal sites located in low-income communities where anyone age 18 and under can get a meal or snack. There is no fee, no sign-up, and no proof of identity or legal status required.

Other summer meal programs require a child to be enrolled.

Closed sites are programs that require sign-up and sometimes require an application or small fee to participate, such as summer camps or other programming that you have to register for. All children in the program receive meals and snacks for free.

Most summer meal programs require meals and snacks to be consumed on site.

Some sites may offer multiple days of meals or snacks for families to take home and consume off-site. Check with the site in advance for their meal policy.

There are several programs that support families with children, from pregnancy through high school. Learn more about nutrition programs for families with children.

Need Help In Cook County?

You’re a part of our community, and we want to help. Reach out to our team. We’re here to point you in the direction of the food assistance programs and support programs that can better your life.

Contact Us