By LIBBY QUAID
The Associated Press
Thursday, July 13, 2006; 3:36 AM

WASHINGTON -- Participation in summer meal programs has dropped for seven years running, mainly because those who provide the food are getting entangled in too much government red tape, according to an anti-hunger group.

In a report being released Thursday, the Food Research and Action Center said complicated accounting rules have forced some sponsors out of the programs and scared others away. As evidence, researchers noted that participation is on the rise in states taking part in a pilot program that reduces paperwork and pays more overhead costs.

"Less red tape means more children are fed," said the group's president, Jim Weill.

Citing Agriculture Department data, the group said the vast majority of children who qualify aren't getting free meals and snacks from summer programs. Last year, free meals went to 2.8 million children _ 18 of every 100 kids who are eligible.

There are other reasons why participation is falling, the report said. Congress cut reimbursement rates 10 years ago, and state budget problems have forced cuts in summer school and local recreation programs, the report said.

The report also found:

_Participation in summer meal programs dropped by 2.7 percent from July 2004 to July 2005 and has dropped for seven consecutive years.

_Participation rose by 4.3 percent in the 13 states included in the pilot program in 2001. The states are Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming.

Free summer meals come from two programs paid for by the Agriculture Department, which also provides food stamps and school lunches.

The Summer Food Service Program pays for meals and snacks at parks, churches, recreation centers and other places. There are rules for who is eligible _ half the kids in an area must already qualify for school meals, or half the kids in a program must qualify.

The other program is the federal school lunch program, which provides breakfast, lunch and snacks to eligible kids in summer school. In many cases, kids who attend during the school year but not in the summer can also get meals.

Last year, six more states were added to the lower paperwork, higher reimbursement pilot program: Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio and Oregon. The group wants the program expanded nationwide.

"It is time for Congress to make it simpler for groups to offer the meals and time for states to do more to pull down the unused federal funds," Weill said.

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On the Net:

Food Research and Action Center: http://www.frac.org