Summer Meals Available for Chicago Public Schools Students

CHICAGO — Chicago Public Schools (CPS) will launch its summer meal programs next week to ensure students continue to have access to free, nutritious meals during the summer months. The summer meals and LunchStop programs will be offered at hundreds of school locations throughout the District, including all summer program locations. Meals will be available beginning Monday, June 24 at outdoor LunchStop locations across the District. Indoor meals are available based on when individual schools host their summer programs on varying dates.

“As our schools continue to operate as year-round community hubs, it’s important that District families have access to nutritious meals between the end of the school year, and the start of the upcoming school year,” said CPS CEO Pedro Martinez. “When students are consuming healthy foods, it stimulates the brain and keeps them safe and ready to learn.”

Students who participate in summer programs, or who live in the area served by the summer program, will be able to access free meals – both breakfast and lunch – at their summer program site throughout the summer. The summer meals program is made possible through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), a program administered by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Meals comply with nutrition standards set forth in the USDA’s Child Nutrition Program meal patterns.

In addition, all Chicago children between the ages of one and 18 can access free and nutritious meals through the District’s LunchStop program. LunchStop will be offered at outdoor locations throughout the District. Children must be present to receive a meal and will need to consume the meal onsite. The LunchStop schedule is Monday - Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. from June 24 to August 9.

Families can find a Summer Meals or LunchStop location near them via the District’s Summer Meal Finder.

“While District students are eager to get the summer underway, proper nutrition remains a requirement at CPS,” said CPS NSS Executive Director Jason Mojica. “Thanks to the collaboration with District vendor partners, we’re providing wholesome and nutritious meals for CPS kids.”

Parents and students can also call (800) 359-2163 or text ‘FOOD’ or ‘COMIDA’ to 304-304 to find nearby summer meals sites, along with operating days and times.

For additional information regarding Nutrition Support Services programming, please visit the District's Nutrition website. School menus are posted at cps.edu/mealviewer.

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About Chicago Public Schools (CPS)

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is dedicated to providing a high-quality education to all students, beginning with the District’s free full-day preschool programming for four-year-old scholars and continuing through neighborhood, magnet and selective-enrollment elementary schools that provide a rigorous K-8 education with schools that specialize in the fine arts, world language and culture, dual language, STEM, International Baccalaureate (IB), classical programs, and more. The rising District-wide freshmen-on-track and high school graduation rates reflect the hard work of the CPS community, including families, staff, and students across 635 schools. CPS celebrates the diversity of its more than 323,000 students who cite 182 home languages. Learn more about CPS at www.cps.edu and connect with CPS on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.