HELENA — Federal funding cuts will not impact Montana's Summer Food Service programs according to the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI); rather, the program intends to grow.
The Free Summer Food Program served over a million meals to children 18 and younger across the state in 2024, an 8% increase from 2023.
The OPI says the program will continue to receive USDA funding and reimbursements, and this summer, it is looking to add more sites and sponsors.
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“We want to make sure that we can offer this program all throughout the state, so we are looking forward to more sponsors, getting our program into every corner of the state, and providing those meals to students and families," said Montana State Superintendent Susie Hedalen.
In 2024, there were 100 sponsors and 280 summer food service program sites. Sites can be schools, community centers, parks, pools, and libraries.
Sponsors provide support, administrative and food services, and training. They are reimbursed at a set rate for meals served to program participants.
Helena Public Schools had nine sites in 2024 and plans to have the same number this coming summer.
“I got a lot of people to show up with three, four or five kids in their family, and just that alone, this meal service helps provide meals for an entire week,” said Helena Public Schools Food Service Director Robert Worthy.
The district spent $157,000 on food for the summer meal program in 2024 — the U.S. Department of Agriculture federal funding can help offset costs.
“The reimbursement rate is around $5 a meal, so you're looking at somewhere between $450,000 and $500,000, the district is just going to get back to offset all the cost of labor, food, delivery vehicles, and all that kind of stuff,” said Worthy.
The deadline for sponsors to apply for the 2025 summer food service program is May 16. Public and private nonprofit schools, government agencies, and private nonprofit organizations can apply to sponsor the 2025 program.
