Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller announced the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) is now accepting sponsor applications for its 2025 Summer Meal Programs. These programs are designed to connect eligible organizations with federal funds to sponsor meal sites that provide healthy meals for Texas children aged 18 and under when school cafeterias are closed for the summer.

“Every year, TDA partners with schools, cities, churches, and other organizations to ensure kids who may not always get enough to eat have meals and snacks during the summer,” said Commissioner Miller. “In partnership with TDA, these sponsors provide the good nutrition kids need to enjoy an active summer that readies them for success when the new academic year begins.”

TDA works to address childhood hunger during the summer by collaborating with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to administer two federally funded Summer Meal Programs. The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) offers schools, nonprofit summer camps, governmental entities, and other nonprofit organizations the chance to serve meals to children across Texas. Schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) can choose between the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) or SFSP, enabling them to continue meal service after the school year ends.

TDA aims to partner with sponsoring organizations to provide meals across the state, with a focus on rural areas, areas with a concentration of migrant workers, and areas where over 50% of children qualify for free or reduced-price NSLP meals. In 2025, the TDA plans to reach children in rural areas who haven’t previously participated in Summer Meal Programs due to transportation barriers. Eligible sponsors in these areas will be able to apply to distribute nutritious meals outside of the typically required group settings and meal service times.

Meals will be provided at no charge to individuals aged 18 and under. Adults over the age of 18 are also eligible for summer meals if they are determined by a state or local public educational agency to have a mental or physical disability and participate in a public or nonprofit private school program established for people with mental or physical disabilities.

All meal sites must be sponsored by an organization that has a contract with TDA and has completed TDA-provided training. Approved SSO and SFSP sponsors, operating in accordance with federal and state regulations, will be reimbursed for meals served to children. Schools applying to operate SSO should use the NSLP New Applicants page on SquareMeals.org, while sponsors applying to operate SFSP should use the SFSP New Applicants page on SquareMeals.org.

The SFSP application deadline for new sponsors and those requiring a more thorough review is April 15, 2025. Other returning SFSP sponsors must apply by May 1, 2025. The deadline for all SSO applications is May 31, 2025. TDA will provide guidance to current and prospective sponsors as more information becomes available. For more information about TDA’s Summer Meal Programs and other nutrition programs, please visit SquareMeals.org.