Summer Food Service Program (SUN Meals — free summer meals for kids)

What this actually is

Free meals and snacks over the summer for any kid aged 18 and under, served at schools, parks, libraries, churches and other neighborhood sites in eligible areas. There is no application, no income form, no sign-up and no proof of anything — a child walks up during serving hours and eats. That is the part almost nobody believes: parents skip it because they assume there must be paperwork or a means test at the door. There is not, at an open site. Like Summer EBT it goes by different names locally, so search the official site finder rather than the name you half-remember.

Who qualifies, and what trips people up

Kids 18 and under. Sites operate in "eligible areas" — the area qualifies, not the individual child — so whether there is a site near you depends on your neighborhood, not your income. Use the Summer Meals for Kids Site Finder on the source page for locations, hours and contact details; hours are short and often only cover one or two meals a day, so check before walking over. Rural non-congregate options let some rural sites hand out meals to take home instead of requiring the child to eat on site. This is separate from, and stackable with, SUN Bucks / Summer EBT.