By PSA Newsroom Staff
Columbia, S.C. — As summer approaches, the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) is renewing its call for community partners to help expand the state’s network of summer meal sites that feed children when school is not in session.
Officials say demand for nutritious meals during the summer months has surged, and meeting that need requires broad support from local governments, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, businesses and volunteers.
“Nutritious meals are essential to children’s health and learning, and that need doesn’t stop when school is out for the summer,” State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver said in a statement. “Strong community partnerships make our summer meal programs possible and successful.”
The state’s Summer Break Café (SBC) and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) programs — both federally funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and administered by SCDE — provide free meals to children 18 years of age and younger at approved sites across the state. Meals can be served at schools, community centers, parks, churches, libraries and more.
Record Growth in Meals Served
Officials report a significant increase in participation last summer.
- Meal service jumped 54 percent compared with previous years.
- More than 5.4 million meals were served to children across South Carolina through the summer food programs.
“That growth shows how crucial these programs are to families across the state,” said a department representative. “But many areas — especially rural and underserved communities — still lack convenient access to meal sites.”
Data from past summers show how access has evolved. In 2025, hundreds of sites across South Carolina served meals at schools, parks, churches and community centers, offering breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks to children age 18 and under. Select rural sites also offered grab-and-go options for flexibility.
How Partners Can Help
SCDE is actively recruiting new sponsors and site hosts. Community partners can support summer meal programs in several ways:
- Be a Sponsor: Organizations with administrative capacity can operate meal programs and receive federal reimbursements for meals served.
- Serve as a Meal Site: Groups can host approved meal services in their facilities or public spaces.
- Support Outreach and Volunteers: Even organizations that cannot sponsor can help promote sites, assist with activities, or coordinate volunteers.
- Serve as a Vendor: Entities with food service capabilities can prepare meals under contract with approved sponsors.
Sponsors must be financially and administratively capable of managing a nonprofit food service program. SCDE provides training and technical support throughout the process.
Prospective partners are encouraged to visit the Summer Break Café website and complete the sponsor application by Feb. 13, 2026 in order to be approved for the upcoming summer season.
Why It Matters
Child nutrition advocates and educators emphasize that access to food during the summer is more than a convenience — it’s a public health and educational priority.
“Summer meal programs offer stability for families who rely on school meals during the year,” said a nutrition specialist familiar with the program. “Expanding sites means more children have access to consistent, healthy food when school is out.”
Parents and caregivers seeking meal sites can also find locations through USDA resources such as the Summer Meal Site Finder map, or by calling 211 or USDA hotlines for assistance.
