News Release

USBE: Free meals and snacks for children during the summer at participating locations

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The Utah State Board of Education is announcing SUN Meals, a summer nutrition program that offers free meals and snacks to children and teens when school is out.

    What are SUN Meals? SUN Meals is USDA’s summer meal programs. It provides no-cost meals and snacks at schools, parks, libraries, and other neighborhood locations. In some eligible rural areas, meals may also be available as SUN Meals To-Go.

    Why it matters: Many children rely on school meals during the school year. When school ends for summer, SUN Meals provide children with continued access to nutritious food.

    How to participate: Families can visit a participating meal site during posted service times. Check local meal site details for dates, times, and participation information. Meals must be eaten on site or picked up in approved rural areas.

Meal Site Information: 

Meal Site Types (Congregate vs. Non-Congregate): 

  • Congregate sites require children to remain on-site while eating their meal. 
  • Non-congregate sites (marked with an asterisk) may allow children to pick up meals and eat them off-site.
    • At approved non-congregate sites, a parent or guardian may pick up meals on behalf of their child(ren). In Utah, a parent/guardian is defined as the individual(s) responsible for the care of the child(ren) on the day of pickup. This does not include childcare providers or organizations caring for groups of unrelated children. 
    • Please note that some sites may still require child presence even when meals are picked up by a parent or guardian.

    Eligibility criteria: SUN Meals are available at no cost to all children and teens age 18 and younger at qualifying sites. No application is required for open meal sites. Some sites may ask households to complete a free and reduced-price meal application to determine if children qualify for meals or snacks at no cost at closed sites or camps. Free and reduced-price eligibility is based on household size and income.

    What are the Income Eligibility Guidelines? The Income Eligibility Guidelines are released annually and used to determine eligibility for free and reduced-price meals, and free milk for the period from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.

These guidelines are used by schools, institutions, and facilities participating in the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program for Children, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Food Service Program.

Does my household meet the income guidelines? Use the chart below. The Free Meals and Reduced-Price Meals columns show the highest gross income allowed for each household size.

Income Eligibility Guidelines for Free and Reduced-Price Meals (2026)

Effective July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027

 Federal Poverty Guidelines – 100%Free Meals 130%Reduced Price Meals 185%
Household SizeAnnual Annual Annual 
1$15,960$20,748$29,526
2$21,640$28,132$40, 034
3$27,320$35,516$50,542
4$33,000$42,900$61,050
5$38,680$50,284$71,558
6$44,360$57,668$82,066
7$50,040$65,052$92,574
8$55,720$72,436$103,082
For each additional household member, add. . .$5,680$7,384$10,508

(U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. (2026). Child Nutrition Programs: Income Eligibility Guidelines (2026-2027). Retrieved from 2026-06842.pdf.)

Learn more: Visit SUN Programs: USDA’s Summer Nutrition Programs for Kids | Food and Nutrition Service or contact the Utah State Board of Education Child Nutrition Programs.

Please note that the Utah State Board of Education is an equal opportunity provider and operates in accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies. A full copy of the statement is available at this link.

USDA Food and Nutrition Service Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with Federal law and the 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 (including English proficiency), limited religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs).

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language) should contact the responsible State or local Agency that administers the program or contact USDA through the Telecommunications Relay Service at 711 (voice and TTY). 

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 Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (OASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by: 

Mail:

U.S. Department of Agriculture 

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 

1400 Independence Avenue, SW 

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

Email:

[email protected]

This institution is an equal opportunity provider. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. (2025). USDA Nondiscrimination Statement. Retrieved from https://www.fns.usda.gov/civil-rights/nds