This week, the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) released its annual  Afterschool Suppers: A Snapshot of Participation — October 2023 report, which looks at participation in afterschool suppers and afterschool snacks on the state and national levels. The report comes ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Afterschool Alliance’s annual Lights On Afterschool celebration on October 24, which will shine a light on the important role afterschool programs play in supporting families and communities. 

About 1.23 million children received afterschool suppers through the Afterschool Nutrition Programs on an average school day in October 2023, reaching 73,878 additional children when compared to October 2022. There was also an increase in afterschool snack participation: 1.25 million children received an afterschool snack, an increase of 63,112 children from October 2022. Despite the slight growth in participation, the reach of afterschool suppers and snacks remains too low, and participation has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.    

During the pandemic, participation in afterschool meal programs remained relatively stable, due to waivers issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to address the operational challenges created by the pandemic. Yet participation in these meal programs declined in 2022 when the waivers expired. In fact, October 2022 saw participation in afterschool suppers decrease for the first time since the program was established nationwide in 2010.  

It’s time to get back on track. 

For this report, FRAC set the goal of reaching 15 children with the Afterschool Supper Program for every 100 children participating in free or reduced-price school lunch and calculated the shortfall in terms of the number of unserved children and the federal dollars lost in October 2023 in each state that is not meeting this goal. If every state had served supper to 15 children for every 100 children from households with low incomes who participated in school lunch in October 2023, then more than 1.7 million additional children would have received a nutritious meal after school.   

Looking ahead, it will take strategic and thoughtful investments and collaboration on all levels to ensure that the Afterschool Nutrition Programs can regain lost ground and effectively grow to meet the need. These include: 

  • Implementing Policy Changes: Congress has not reauthorized the Child Nutrition Programs since 2010. Congress can support the Afterschool Nutrition Programs by: (1) streamlining the Afterschool and Summer Nutrition Programs by allowing sponsors in good standing to operate afterschool nutrition under the Summer Food Service Program; (2) allowing school food authorities to serve suppers through the National School Lunch Program instead of requiring them to operate the Child and Adult Care Food Program to do so; and (3) lowering the area eligibility threshold from 50 percent to 40 percent to align with the 40 percent threshold used for 21st Century Community Learning Centers programs and Title I schools. 
  • Leveraging and maximizing funding for afterschool programs: Public funding through federal, state, and local dollars is key to ensuring that families with low incomes have access to high-quality afterschool programs and the suppers that these programs can provide. The American Rescue Plan of 2021 (ARP) significantly increased the federal investment in afterschool and summer programs, allocating $30 billion. However, the ARP funds had to be obligated by September 30, 2024. With demand for afterschool programming already outpacing supply, it is crucial to prioritize and maintain federal funding for afterschool programs.  
  • Reflecting on lessons learned and implementing effective strategies: There are programmatic best practices that states and localities can adopt to extend the reach of these afterschool initiatives and widen access to the Afterschool Nutrition Programs. 

As sponsors and afterschool programs continue to adapt and recover from the challenges of the past four years, federal investments and enhancements, along with the lessons learned both before and during the pandemic, should be used to strengthen and streamline these vital nutrition programs. Now is the time to make afterschool suppers and programs more accessible.  

Learn more about closing the afterschool hunger gap in Afterschool Suppers: A Snapshot of Participation — October 2023.