Connecticut State Department of Education 2026 Summer Meal Programs

Press Releases

12/15/2025

Connecticut State Department of Education 2026 Summer Meal Programs

Sponsoring Organizations Provide Nutritious Meals to Connecticut's Children

(HARTFORD, CT) - The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) invites organizations to become sponsors for the 2026 Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), which provides nutritious meals to children in qualifying communities across Connecticut during the summer months.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the SFSP acts as an extension of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP), ensuring children continue to receive healthy meals even when schools are closed.

During the summer months, more than 1.5 million meals are provided to approximately 36,000 children aged 18 and younger at over 580 locations statewide. These locations are sponsored by schools, municipalities, camps, colleges, and nonprofit organizations in communities where at least 50 percent of households with children have income at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level. Meals must be eaten onsite, unless specifically authorized in certain rural areas.

Eligible SFSP sponsors may include:

• Public or private nonprofit school food authorities (i.e., school districts, local education authorities).
• State, local, municipal, tribal, or county government entities.
• Public or private nonprofit day and residential summer camps.
• Public or private nonprofit colleges and universities participating in the National Youth Sports Program.
• Private nonprofit organizations.

Sponsors receive USDA predetermined reimbursement funding for each meal served, provided meals meet USDA nutrition standards. All SFSP sponsors must ensure that meals are available to any eligible child regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.

To learn more about becoming an SFSP sponsor, contact the CSDE Bureau of Child Nutrition Programs, 450 Columbus Boulevard, Suite 504, Hartford, CT 06103, or visit the program's web page at CT Summer Food Service Program.

During the summer months, families looking for summer meal sites can find locations through Connecticut's 2-1-1 service or USDA's Summer Meals for Kids site finder at https://www.fns.usda.gov/summer/sitefinder.

Together, we can ensure that every child in Connecticut has access to healthy, nutritious meals this coming summer.

Program Contact:
Caroline Cooke
Bureau of Child Nutrition Programs
Connecticut State Department of Education
Email: [email protected]

State Department of Education Seeking Foodservice Management Companies to Register as Summer Meals Vendors

This release serves as notification of the mandatory registration of food service management companies to participate in the 2026 Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) in Connecticut. Sponsors of the SFSP may only contract with food service management companies that have registered with the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE).

On or before February 15, 2026, each food service management company that plans to provide meals to a sponsoring organization must submit an application or renewal for registration to the CSDE. The application form for registration can be requested by contacting Andrew Paul at the CSDE.

Program Contact:
Andrew Paul
Bureau of Child Nutrition Programs
Connecticut State Department of Education
Phone: 860-807-2048
Email: [email protected]

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling 866-632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA.

The letter must contain the complainant's name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation.

The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
   Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
   1400 Independence Avenue, SW
   Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
2. Fax: 833-256-1665 or 202-690-7442; or
3. Email: [email protected]

This institution and the Connecticut State Department of Education are an equal opportunity employer.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Dec. 15, 2025

CONTACT INFO:
Matthew Cerrone
[email protected]

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