Although thousands of children depend on nutritious free and reduced-price meals and snacks at school for nine months out of the year, only a fraction of eligible children in Ohio last year participated in a Summer Food Service Program, the federal program that helps children get the nutrition they need throughout the summer months. A lack of adequate nutrition at any time can be extraordinarily damaging to a child’s health, growth, development and their ability to succeed during the school year.
OASHF recently hosted a summit with SFSP providers and partners. More details about the Summit are in our news release, or check out the articles and video below for coverage of the event.
Officials look for ways to boost student use of free summer meal plans
Kids get hungry in the summer, too. But when school lets out,
the number of youngsters taking advantage of government-paid free-meal
programs drops by about 80 percent. (Click here to read the story in the Columbus Dispatch.)
State Looks to Help More Kids with Food Programs
A summit held on Monday brought Ohio leaders together to talk
about how to make sure low income children get nutritional help all
year, not just when school is open. (Click here to watch the video from the Ohio News Network.)