The Special Summer Food Service Program for Children is one of several programs for the feeding of children administered by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). The program is designed to feed during summer vacation, children from areas having poor economic conditions or high concentrations of working mothers. It is authorized through fiscal year 1975. It provides Federal assistance through State educational agencies or Service regional offices for financing non profit food services operated by approved service instiutions (called sponsors) at approved feeding sites. GAO's review of the program included visits to six large cities, one each in California, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Among the reports' findings and conslusions are the following: the program's effectiveness is difficult to assess because the Service and State agencies have not identified the total number of children who were eligible nor their location; the summer program apparently has achieved rather limited coverage, especially in areas other than the largest cities; and, problems which limited participation include vagueness in the law and regulations as to the extent of coverage desired, lack of strong support for an essentially voluntary program, and Federal and State funding limitations, resulting in a large proportion of allocated funds not spent. (Author/JM)