The Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is now accepting applications for organizations interested in participating in the 2017 Summer Food Service Program for children. The program, financed through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service, provides free meals to children from targeted communities and is designed to maintain and expand nonprofit food programs for children during the summer months.

To participate in the summer program, sponsors must be public or private nonprofit school food authorities, organizations, residential summer camps, nonresidential day camps, or units of local or state governments. To be approved, a site must serve an area with at least 50 percent of the children eligible for free or reduced-price meals, or qualify as a residential camp or a nonresidential day camp.  Meals must be made available to all children enrolled in the program without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age. 

In order to provide adequate time for training and community outreach, interested sponsors should contact RIDE by May 26. For more information on the program, call the Rhode Island Department of Education, Office of Statewide Efficiencies, at (401) 222-4253.