INDIANAPOLIS – Although a new report indicates an ongoing nationwide drop in the number of children who participated in free summer meals last year, data shows Indiana bucked the trend with more Hoosier kids receiving lunches in 2023 than in 2022.
The report released Tuesday by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) revealed that 170,926 fewer children benefited from meals served through the Summer Nutrition Programs in 2023 compared to the previous year. That means only 15.3 children received summer lunch for every 100 who received a free or reduced-price school lunch the previous school year.
But in Indiana, more than 72,000 children participated in free summer lunches on an average day in July 2023 — a nearly 33% increase from 2022. By comparison, 17.3 Hoosier kids ate summer lunch for every 100 who participated in the free and reduced program during the academic year.
Participation rates for breakfast still show room for improvement, however. According to FRAC’s analysis, 15,157 Hoosier children received breakfast on an average day in July 2023. That’s an increase of about 11.4% compared to July 2022, but still far less than during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, for example, 73,666 Hoosier kids received free breakfast during the summer.
The overall 2023 participation boost follows a drop in 2022 — though there were previous summer meal increases in 2020 and 2021.
Child nutrition waivers issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture make free meals available at summer meal sites, often at schools and community centers.
Access was expanded during the pandemic, and until 2023, federal waivers allowed meal sites to operate in all communities and offer meals that families could pick up and take home off-site consumption. Most sites have since reverted to pre-pandemic operations, meaning fewer kids can access free meals.
Read the complete Casey Smith story for the Indiana Capital Chronicle, here.
