	The Number of SFSP Meals Served Generally Increased from 2007 through 2016, but Estimates of Children Participating Were Unreliable

The total number of SFSP meals served nationwide during the summer— one indicator of program participation—increased from 113 million meals  in fiscal year 2007 to 149 million meals in fiscal year 2016, or by 32  percent. Although states reported the actual number of SFSP meals served to  FNS for reimbursement purposes, they estimated the number of children  participating in SFSP, and these participation estimates have been  calculated inconsistently, impairing FNS’s ability to inform program  implementation and facilitate strategic planning and outreach to areas  with low participation. However, according to our review of states’ survey responses and FNS  documents, states’ methods for calculating ADA have differed from state  to state and from year to year. Although FNS had taken some steps to identify other data that states  collect on the SFSP, at the time of our May 2018 report, FNS had not yet  used this information to help improve its estimate of children’s  participation in the program. The responses suggested some states collected additional data, such as  site-level data, that may allow for an improved estimate of children’s  SFSP participation, potentially addressing the issues identified in our  analysis. Other Federal and Nonfederal Programs Helped Feed Low- Income Children over the Summer to Some Extent

Other federal and nonfederal programs that operate solely in the summer,  as well as those operating year-round, helped feed low-income children in  the summer months. For example, in 2016, FNS data indicated about 26  million meals were served through the NSLP’s Seamless Summer Option,  a separate federal program that streamlines administrative requirements  for school meal providers serving summer meals. Some children also  received summer meals through nonfederal programs operated by  entities such as faith-based organizations and foodbanks, though the  reach of these efforts was limited, according to our state survey and  interviews with providers and national organizations at the time of our  report. States and SFSP Providers Faced Challenges with Meal Sites, Participation, and Program Administration, and FNS Actions Had Addressed Some, but Not All Areas

States and SFSP providers reported challenges with issues related to  meal site availability, children’s participation, and program administration,  though federal, state, and local entities had taken steps to improve these  areas. States and SFSP providers also reported challenges with meal site  safety, and FNS’s efforts to address this area were limited. Seventeen  states reported in our survey that ensuring summer meal sites are in safe  locations was moderately to very challenging. We concluded that unless FNS shared information with all states and  sponsors on the circumstances it considered when deciding whether to  grant flexibility with respect to the requirement that children consume  summer meals on site, states and sponsors would likely continue to be  challenged to use this flexibility, hindering its usefulness in ensuring safe  summer meal delivery to children. We concluded that without understanding the impact of its use of these  flexibilities, neither FNS nor Congress knew whether these flexibilities  were helping provide meals to children—the goal of the program. Accordingly, we recommended that FNS evaluate and annually report to  Congress, as required by statute, on its use of waivers and demonstration  projects to grant states and sponsors flexibility with respect to the  requirement that children consume SFSP meals on-site in areas  experiencing crime or violence, to improve understanding of the use and  impact of granting these flexibilities on meeting program goals. FNS  generally agreed with this recommendation. Although FNS had established program and policy simplifications to help  lessen the administrative burden on sponsors participating in multiple  child nutrition programs, challenges in this area persisted, indicating that  information had not reached all relevant state agencies. We concluded that without further efforts from FNS to disseminate  information on current options for streamlining administrative  requirements across multiple child nutrition programs, overlapping and  duplicative administrative requirements may limit children’s access to  meals by discouraging sponsor participation in child nutrition programs.
Why GAO Did This Study

This testimony summarizes information contained in GAO's May 2018 report entitled Summer Meals: Actions Needed to Improve Participation Estimates and Address Program Challenges , GAO-18-369 . It addresses (1) what is known about SFSP participation, (2) other programs that help feed low-income children over the summer, and (3) challenges in providing summer meals to children and the extent to which USDA provides assistance to address these challenges.
For its May 2018 report, GAO reviewed relevant federal laws, regulations, and guidance; analyzed USDA's SFSP data for fiscal years 2007 through 2016; and surveyed state agencies responsible for administering the SFSP in 50 states and the District of Columbia. GAO also visited a nongeneralizable group of 3 states and 30 meal sites, selected based on Census data on child poverty rates and urban and rural locations, and analyzed meal site data from these 3 states. In addition, GAO interviewed USDA, state, and national organization officials, as well as SFSP providers, including sponsors and site operators.

What GAO Found

Nationwide, the total number of meals served to children in low-income areas through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) increased from 113 to 149 million (about 32 percent) from fiscal year 2007 through 2016, according to GAO's May 2018 report. GAO noted that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) directed states to use the number of meals served, along with other data, to estimate the number of children participating in the SFSP. However, GAO found that participation estimates had been calculated inconsistently from state to state and year to year. In 2017, USDA took steps to improve the consistency of participation estimates, noting they are critical for informing program implementation and strategic planning. However, GAO determined that the method USDA directed states to use would continue to provide unreliable estimates of participation, hindering USDA's ability to use them for these purposes.
Other federal and nonfederal programs helped feed low-income children over the summer to some extent, according to states GAO surveyed and SFSP providers and others GAO interviewed for its May 2018 report. For example, GAO found that in July 2016, about 26 million meals were served through a separate federal program that allowed school meal providers to serve summer meals, according to USDA data. Some children also received summer meals through nonfederal programs operated by faith-based organizations and foodbanks, though GAO's state survey and interviews with SFSP meal providers and national organizations indicated the reach of such efforts was limited.
In GAO's May 2018 report, states and SFSP meal providers reported challenges with issues related to meal sites, participation, and program administration, though USDA, state, and local officials had taken some steps to address these issues. Seventeen states in GAO's survey and several providers in the states GAO visited reported a challenge with ensuring meal sites were in safe locations. To address this issue, USDA granted some states and providers flexibility from the requirement that children consume meals on-site. However, GAO found that USDA had not broadly communicated the circumstances it considered when granting this flexibility or reported to Congress on the use of flexibilities with respect to the on-site requirement in areas where safety was a concern, per requirements. As a result, neither USDA nor Congress knew whether these flexibilities were helping provide meals to children and meeting program goals. Further, officials from national and regional organizations GAO interviewed, as well as providers GAO visited, reported challenges related to the administrative burden associated with participating in multiple child nutrition programs. Although USDA had established program and policy simplifications to help lessen related burdens, the persistence of challenges in this area suggested that information had not reached all relevant state agencies, potentially limiting children's access to meals by discouraging provider participation.

What GAO Recommends

In its May 2018 report, GAO made four recommendations, including that USDA improve estimates of children's participation in SFSP, communicate the circumstances it considers when granting flexibilities to ensure safe meal delivery, evaluate and annually report to Congress on its use of waivers and demonstration projects when granting these flexibilities, and disseminate information about existing flexibilities available to streamline administrative requirements for providers participating in multiple child nutrition programs. USDA generally agreed with GAO's recommendations.