BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – State leaders are working to make sure no child goes hungry during the summer.
For about half the year, Vermont students can rely on a steady and free breakfast and lunch. But in this stretch of the summer, many families struggle to fill their children’s bellies.
“It can be really stressful for caregivers and it can be really stressful for kids if they don’t have these resources,” said Rosie Krueger of the Vermont Agency of Education.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nearly 54,000 students participated in Vermont’s free school lunch program in 2023. Krueger says 75% of those students come from underprivileged families who may struggle with food security.
“More than half of the kids who are eating school meals during the school year are not accessing those meals during the summer,” she said.
Several programs across the state are working to close that gap. This summer, the state is rolling out its first summer EBT program.
Qualifying families will receive $120 per eligible child.
“You can go and use it on what you need in a grocery store and many other retailers that sell groceries. You know, it’s just providing those kids with that nutrition that they need,” said Miranda Gray of the Department of Children and Families.
There are also 175 meal sites across Vermont – a state record.
Children under 18 – whether enrolled in school or not – can access breakfast and lunch that can be eaten on-site or brought home.
“It’s really meant to be a low barrier, easy access for kids to get summer meals so that they can enjoy the summer without thinking about this, without having the stress of, ‘Oh, I don’t have school meals. Where am I gonna get my food?’” said Krueger.
Despite progress toward greater food accessibility, Krueger says there are dozens of communities eligible for meal sites that haven’t coordinated programming.
A lack of convenient locations to host meal sites, particularly in rural areas, is part of the issue.
Krueger says there are also many food-insecure families who turn away help because they feel other families need it more than they do. That mindset often means meal sites shut down or never open in the first place.
“The real message is you’re not taking it away from somebody else. You’re actually helping other folks access it by making sure that the site is sustainable, that they’re able to bring in enough federal funding to keep operating it,” said Krueger.
Krueger talks about summer food programming every chance she gets, aiming to bring more communities on board and feed more young Vermonters.
“We’re hopeful that as partners learn about it, folks will figure out ways to make that more available in their community,” said Krueger.
To learn more about summer meal programming, call 211 or visit USDA’s summer meal site finder.