Feeding young minds: County libraries use a federal program to provide snacks to children and teens

Several branches of the Spokane County Library District distribute snacks every weekday after school to help children in families facing food shortages.

The program started about five years ago at the Deer Park Library and has expanded to branches in Cheney, North Spokane and Spokane Valley. Children can get a nutritious snack every weekday from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM at the Cheney, Deer Park and Spokane Valley libraries and at the North Spokane Library from 3:15 PM to 4:15 PM.

The program is funded by the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program. It started years ago in Deer Park because that library is within walking distance of all the city’s schools and often had large groups of children there every day after school, said SCLD Strategic Initiatives Manager Amber Williams.

“Think of it as a pilot project that went very well,” she said. “We see the impact and difference it has made. It is a great pleasure to expand it to other locations.”

The program was not initially expanded due to changing rules about what food could be served and then closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Williams said. The library district first applied in May to expand the snack program to other libraries and was recently approved. That was partly because the program is typically only used by schools, Williams said.

“This is a federal program that is not designed for libraries,” she said. “We fit in well here as an after-school location. We offer programs after school.”

Williams said other organizations used to fill more of the food shortages in the Spokane area, but some of those organizations have since disappeared. She felt it was important that the library district take action to fill the gaps where possible.

“We have the capacity and the staff,” she said. “No one else is doing it yet.”

The snacks are available for every child. Even teens who turn 18 can get a snack while they’re still in school, Williams said. Children can enter with their parents or alone. The only requirement is that they sign up with their first name, age and arrival time, Williams said.

“It doesn’t matter if the child lives in this area or goes to school in this area,” she said. “If they are in the library, they get a snack.”

The snacks are served every weekday, even during the summer, spring and winter holidays and other non-holidays when schools are closed, Williams said.

“If the library is open, they get a snack,” she said.

Because it is a federal program, only certain snacks may be served. They must follow USDA nutritional guidelines and they must be prepackaged and individually wrapped. The district sources gluten-free and dairy-free snack options and the snack menu is posted two weeks at a time with ingredient lists so parents can check for other allergens, Williams said.

In a year ending in September, the Deer Park Library handed out 4,107 snacks. Staff typically prepare for about 25 children per day, although that number can vary, she said.

The program just started this month at the other three locations, so it’s hard to know how popular they could become, Williams said. Staff typically prepare for 30 children in the North Spokane and Spokane Valley locations and 20 children in Cheney.

“We are still figuring out what to expect at each location,” she said. “It’s a learning curve.”

If more kids show up than expected, it’s easy enough to accommodate them, Williams said.

“We keep the food on site,” she said. “If we prepare for 30 children and 50 show up, that doesn’t mean the 31st child will go hungry. It just means an employee goes back and gets more.”

Williams said it is possible for the libraries to adjust the time the snacks are served, but they cannot provide the food for more than an hour. The district has slightly adjusted snack time at the North Spokane Library to accommodate the arrival of children, she said.

“The goal is to feed children,” she says. “If necessary, we will make those changes.”

“We see the impact and difference it has made. It is a great pleasure to expand it to other locations.” Amber Williams, strategic initiatives manager for the Spokane County Library District