Summer Non-Congregate Feeding Program

Programs > Summer Meal Programs > Summer Non-Congregate Feeding Program

Summer 2025 Non-Congregate Request Form Now Available!

RESOURCES
Summer 2025 Non-Congregate Feeding FAQs (Updated February 14, 2025) Summer 2025 Request to Serve Non-Congregate Meals Summer 2025 Non-Congregate Eligibility Map

The request form for eligible SFSP and SSO operators wanting to serve non-congregate meals in rural areas for Summer 2025 is now available! Before submitting the form, all Contracting Entities were asked to complete the following:

Using the Summer 2025 Non-Congregate Eligibility Map, first validate that the intended site is rural and more than 2 miles away from the nearest summer site.
Read the Summer 2025 FAQs very carefully. Operators should know what is expected of a successful non-congregate site and evaluate its operations to determine if the site can be in compliance. Note that these FAQs serve as the official "handbook" for summer non-congregate service until updates to the official program handbooks can be made.
If the site is rural and in good standing, ensure that a site application has been submitted in TX-UNPS prior to submitting the Non-Congregate Request Form. Sites must be approved or conditionally approved within TX-UNPS before TDA will approve non-congregate service.

Please consult with your Education Service Center about any questions you may have after reading through all of TDA's guidance.

Details for Serving Non-Congregate Meals in 2025

Click Here to View February 27 Summer Non-Congregate Webinar
Click Here to View Webinar Slides

Some districts are mandated by state law to provide summer meals or receive a waiver. Districts planning to request a waiver for summer 2025 should evaluate the summer rural non-congregate meal service as an option.

Background

On December 29, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued an interim final rule solidifying the implementation of non-congregate meal service in rural areas through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option (SSO). This rule marks a significant step forward in ensuring access to nutritious meals for children residing in remote and underserved regions.

Last summer, USDA accepted public comments on this Interim Final Rule. TDA will continue to update this permanent rural non-congregate feeding program as future regulatory updates are published.

Assistance available in English and Spanish. Please call 877-TEX-MEAL (877-839-6325) for help.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. Mail:

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

1400 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

2. Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

3. Email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.