TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) is seeking partners across the state to help provide meals at no cost to children from low-income families through the Summer BreakSpot Program.

“During the summer, many students that rely on school meals during the school year will need to find a reliable source of daily nutritious meals. This year, as more families are faced with food insecurity because of the pandemic, we’re actively seeking to increase partnerships with organizations such as local non-profit organizations, schools, residential summer camps, and faith-based organizations as they are well-positioned to reach unserved children throughout the state,” said Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried.

The FDACS Summer BreakSpot program, which provides meals to children during the summer when school is out, on average serves between 14 and 16 million meals per summer to children across Florida. During summer 2021, this program served over 18.5 million meals and added more than 1,400 additional sites across the state.

Applications and training will open for the 2022 Summer BreakSpot Program on February 21, 2022. The application deadlines for Summer 2022 are to ensure all sponsors are approved and ready to operate in a timely manner. The timeline will also allow for sponsors requesting an advance to receive funds with ample time to make purchases prior to the start of their program.

Sponsors Requesting a June and/or July Advance:

Must submit a complete application by March 15, 2022. Application must be approved prior to operation.

All Sponsors Not Requesting an Advance:

Must submit a complete application by April 15, 2022. Application must be approved prior to operation.

More information on the Summer BreakSpot Program annual training can be found here.

–FDACS