SFSP/SSO Renewal is Due October 31.
All Sponsoring Organizations who plan to operate SFSP/SSO this fall must submit a Meal Distribution Plan that reflects their current meal distribution methods and waiver implementation.
We understand during this public health emergency that sponsors’ meal service models may change. Program operators should resubmit their MDP survey as their meal distribution models are updated.
Checklists Updated as of 10/15!
The SFSP/SSO Checklists summarize the renewal process and can be used as a guide to submitting both the applications in WINS and the Meal Distribution Survey
Renewal Reminders
Please review our training and WINS renewal requirements article for more details.
Questions? Please contact your OSPI CNS Program Specialist.
Last week we shared information regarding At-Risk Applications. In this update we review requirements from USDA, details regarding eligible sites, and considerations for operating the CACFP At-Risk program. Please review the update for additional details.
Some Highlights
- Meal sites that are not area eligible must target meals/snacks to children in need. To meet this requirement, sites must be located in the attendance area of a public school (an elementary, middle, or high school) where at least 40% of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).
- Sponsors may submit an exemption request if there are extenuating circumstances.
Claiming Meals
- Sponsoring organizations that operate the CACFP At-Risk Afterschool Meals Component may only claim meals after the end of the instructional day if students are physically in care.
- For CACFP At-Risk afterschool care programs that are providing on-site care to children attending school virtually: Schools that are operating virtually are considered "in session". Only a meal and/or snack served after the virtual school day is over would be reimbursable.
- For CACFP At-Risk afterschool programs that are not caring for children on-site: When meals are being provided for children that are not in on-site care, at-risk suppers and or snacks may be claimed even if they are distributed before the end of the school instructional day. These meals must be marked as At-Risk meals.
Questions? Please contact your OSPI CNS Program Specialist.
All required program materials for the application, monitoring visits, meal counts, and more can be found on the SFSP Program Materials & Required Documents Webpage.
Frequently requested materials include:
Need help locating something? Email summermeals@k12.wa.us.
With the start of a new fiscal year on October 1, monitoring visits must be conducted of all SFSP sites, regardless of whether they operated during emergency or traditional SFSP in SY 2019-20.
There are 3 required monitoring visits for SFSP sites.
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Pre-operational Visits – Must be conducted before a site’s first day of service.
- Required for all new sites.
- May be waived for returning sites.
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First Week Visits – Must be conducted during a site’s first week of operation.
- Required for all new SFSP sites or returning sites with significant operational problems noted on the previous year’s site review.
- May be waived if:
- A sponsor successfully participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).
- Site operated last year and did not have any serious findings noted on its site review.
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Site Reviews – Required to be conducted within the first 4 weeks of operation at all SFSP sites.
For more information on waiving SFSP monitoring visits and the Nationwide Waivers, please reference:
All SFSP Monitoring Forms and Reference Sheets can be found on the Program Materials/Forms webpage.
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Districts offering the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)/ School Breakfast Program (SBP), and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) this fall are encouraged to join us for weekly webinars.
Register Here
Date: Wednesdays through November 4, 2020
Time: 2 - 3 pm PT
Please hold a space on your calendar. A reminder email with your link to log into the webinar is sent 1 hour before the session starts.
Weekly follow up emails with a copy of the slides are sent to everyone registered for the session, even if they did not attend. We will not be posting recordings to the CNS webpages due to rapidly changing information .
Please keep an eye out in your inbox for these emails, if you do not see them in your inbox please check your SPAM box.
Miss last week? You can review last week's recording at this link.
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The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) provides healthy meals to all children ages 18 & under, and students ages 21 and under enrolled in a Washington school district.
SFSP sponsors must promote meal access to all children. This includes providing accommodations for children with disabilities who have special dietary needs.
Often times accommodations can be made within the meal pattern requirements. If this is the case, a medical statement is not required. Examples of this may include modifying the texture of meals (pureed, chopped, etc.) and substituting food items from the same component.
Potential Substitutions
Gluten Free Grains
- Corn Products, such as tortillas, tortilla chips, popcorn, corn-based cereals
- Rice Products, such as rice crackers, enriched white or brown rice, rice cereals
- Oat Products, such as gluten-free oatmeal or oat-based granola bars
Milk Alternatives*
- Lactose-free milk
- Lactose-reduced milk
*Please note that approved milk substitutes are not creditable in SFSP without a note signed by a state-recognized medical authority.
Meat Alternates
- Yogurt, flavored or unflavored and nonfat, low-fat, or whole
- Cheese, such as cheddar, mozzarella, American, or Swiss
- Beans or Peas, such as black beans, refried beans, chickpeas, or hummus
- Nuts/Seeds*, such as almonds, cashews, or sunflower seeds
- Nut/Seed Butters, such as almond butter, peanut butter, or sunflower butter
- Eggs
*Please note that Nuts/Seeds may only comprise 50% of the M/MA component at lunch/supper.
Substitutions Outside the Meal Pattern
If an accommodation cannot be made within the meal pattern requirements, a statement signed by a state-recognized medical authority would need to be submitted. The statement must detail:
- Food(s) to be avoided
- How the food impacts the participant
- Food(s) to be substituted
OSPI has developed the Special Dietary Accommodations Form, available in both English & Spanish, as a resource. When supported by a signature from a state-recognized medical authority, meal modifications that do not meet meal pattern requirements can be claimed for reimbursement.
Resources on Special Dietary Accommodations
Questions? Please email summermeals@k12.wa.us.
The USDA has released several waivers that extend through the summer, as well as some extending through September 2021.
Please visit the OSPI Nutrition & Meals Guidance webpage, under the Important Updates header, to review any of these waivers.
The Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) is the only federally funded national center dedicated to applied research, education and training, and technical assistance for child nutrition programs.
Get FREE Training - Visit theicn.org/vilt/
ICN is conducting Virtual Instructor-Led Training for anyone who would like to attend. The sessions are about 4 hours long and certificates are provided for participation. Sign up soon! There is a 25 person limit per class.
School Meal Program topics available:
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Food Safety Basics
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Norovirus for Schools
- Norovirus for Child Care
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Nutrition 101 (2-day sessions)
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Foundations for Training Excellence: Basics
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Training Culturally Diverse Groups
- Basic Culinary Math
Team Nutrition recently released the Summer Food Service Program: Providing Multiple Meals at a Time During the Coronavirus Pandemic resource. This resource provides technical assistance on the amounts of foods needed for multiple day distribution, use of “bulk” foods, best practices, and parent communication.
The School's Out Washington (SOWA) Conference will be held virtually on October 27 - 30!
View the full 2020 Bridge Conference schedule to help you plan your multi-day professional development experience. Here’s some of what you can expect:
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Community: Our keynote speakers Dr. Megan Ming Francis and Shontina Vernon will guide us in coming together as a Community and looking towards the future as a collective field.
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Nourishment: Our presenters are designing our 25+ Workshops for your Nourishment, with topics ranging from “Leading with SEL in Mind” to “Race & Equity: Transforming Organizations for the Long Haul” to “School-Community Partnerships for Students: Better Together.”
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Belonging: By hearing and sharing stories and building relationships with leaders at all levels across the Conference, from Storytelling Hour to Cultivating Connections, we hope you’ll feel a sense of Belonging.
Visit the 2020 Bridge Conference website for more insights into what you can expect this year, and reach out to our customer service team at bridge@schoolsoutwashington.org if you have any questions.
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October 28
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SY20-21 Food Service Operations for NSLP and SFSP Sponsors Weekly Webinar - Register Here
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October 30
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Last day to submit your August claims! 60-Day Claim Deadline
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October 31
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Due Date for SY20-21 SFSP/ SSO Applications
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