Summer Food Programs
Programs Available
Food Programs for School-Age Children
When school lets out for the summer, a child's need for food does not go away. Some areas provide summer food options for children at a low cost or for free. To find out if your child's school offers breakfast or lunch programs, contact your local school district and ask to speak with someone about nutrition programs available through the school.
Program names
The Seamless Summer Option program lets families pick up free food from their local school district, even if they do not qualify for free and reduced-price meals.
The Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (Summer EBT) Program for Kids provides families with an EBT card pre-loaded with $120 per eligible child to help with the cost of groceries during the summer months. This program aims to help with the loss of school breakfast and lunch that children would normally have access to during the school year. Summer EBT benefits are available for four months and expire 122 days from the date the benefits were first loaded onto the Summer EBT card.
See if your child is eligible or automatically enrolled into the NJ Summer EBT program.
Professionals Serving Child Populations
Learn how your agency can receive funding for the Summer Food Service Program.