Chicago Public Schools launches an annual free summer lunch program at schools across the city

Chicago Public Schools Offer Free Summer LunchesChicago Public Schools Offer Free Summer Lunches Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is providing free midday meals to local children through its “LunchStop” program, which runs from Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. through August 9. Any child under 18 can receive a meal at one of 15 locations throughout the city. The program is funded by the Summer Food Service Program, which reimburses organizations for providing meals to low-income children when school is not in session. The meals must be consumed on-site, but parents are not required to accompany their children. CPS has also chosen outdoor locations near migrant shelters for the LunchStop program to serve the growing migrant population in Chicago. The program supports children participating in summer camps and aims to reduce food insecurity during the summer months. Virginia Hansen, cafeteria manager at Newton Bateman Elementary School, says the program is appreciated in the neighborhood, especially when combined with other community programs. She has noticed an increase in the number of migrant children in the area and encourages parents to take advantage of the free lunches.

About a dozen children sat around a cafeteria table outside Newton Bateman Elementary School in the Irving Park neighborhood Monday, talking and giggling as they ate their oranges and sandwiches. Most came straight from Bateman’s FORGE summer camp, a three-week program of art, theater, fitness, robotics and chess activities. This was the first day of Chicago Public Schools’ free summer lunch program, providing free midday meals to local children.

Through the district’s “LunchStop” program, any child 18 and under can receive a free meal at one of 15 locations throughout the city. A map of these locations can be found here.

The program runs Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. through August 9.

Children also have access to free lunch through the district’s summer programs, which are offered at more than 300 schools across the city.

The only requirement for a free lunch is that it be consumed on site. Parents can, but are not required to, accompany their children to pick up the free lunches, said Justine Britten, CPS nutrition program manager.

LunchStop is funded by the Summer Food Service Program, a national program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered by the Illinois State Board of Education. SFSP reimburses organizations for providing meals to low-income children when school is not in session.

The LunchStop program aims to ensure that children in Chicago receive lunch daily during the summer holidays, the district said in a news release.

This also applies to children of migrant families. More than 43,000 migrants have arrived in Chicago since August 2022, according to the city. And as Mayor Brandon Johnson moves forward with plans to evict migrant families from shelters — citing overstretched resources and the 60-day stay limit for migrants — and more shelters open, Chicago’s migrant population is in flux, with some families moving into establish permanent reception centres. housing and others end up in shelters across the city.

According to Britten, county officials tried to choose outdoor locations near migrant shelters for the LunchStop program. “Thinking about the different demographics of the city, we also tried to choose outdoor locations based on that.”

The program also supports children participating in summer camps. Especially with recent crime — including incidents that have victimized Chicago youth — Britten said CPS is focusing on a variety of summer offerings.

Summer school campers eat lunch together outdoors on the first day of the Chicago Public School summer lunch program at Newton Bateman Elementary School on June 24, 2024 in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

“Our goal in the nutrition department is just to feed students, and we see that as a way to support the whole child and keep them nourished,” Britten said. “We know this helps children feel good and happy and allows them to stay focused on their studies or whatever summer program they are involved with.”

The district does not keep track of how many children receive free lunch during summer vacation, a spokesperson told the Tribune.

The LunchStop program is appreciated in the neighborhood, especially when combined with other community programs, said Virginia Hansen, Bateman cafeteria manager.

“We have the Boys and Girls and Club there, and they help with programs as well,” Hansen said, referring to the organization that runs the after-school program in Bateman.

Hansen said it’s important to make sure Chicago children have lunch for all the children in the neighborhood, and she noticed an increase in the number of migrant children in the area this school year. She estimates there are about 80 migrant children at Bateman, a school where nearly 40% of students learn English, according to 2023-2024 CPS data.

At Bateman’s summer camp last week, Hansen said she told parents the program would be available every weekday throughout the summer, citing a flyer in Spanish posted next to the lunches.

“They are always entitled to a meal,” Hansen said. “So hopefully they always do this.”