OSPI Child Nutrition Services continues to seek out new sponsors for the 2022 USDA Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).
The SFSP helps ensure children and teens living in low-income areas continue to receive nutritious meals during the summer, or during emergency school closures, when they do not have access to school meals.
New Sponsor Process
Information about the program is outlined in a recent OSPI Medium Article, we highly encourage those who are interested to review the article and email our Summer Meals Team with any questions.
- If you are interested in learning more about becoming an SFSP sponsor and the application process, please review the CNS New Sponsor Application Process Flow Chart for more information.
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Sponsors who are new to the SFSP, or did not participate in summer 2021 must be assessed for Viability, Capability and Accountability (VCA) prior to applying for the SFSP as a sponsor. The VCA process can take approximately three months to complete depending on the organization type and other factors.
- Local Education Agencies (LEAs) are exempt from completing the VCA process.
Reminders
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Application Deadlines
SFSP applications open in April and the federal deadline to submit a complete and correct application is June 15. When applying to sponsor the SFSP, consider your anticipated meal service begin date and submit your WINS application and additional required documentation at least 30 days before your program will start.
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Site Locations
To prevent the duplication of services, the area new sites propose to serve must not be served in whole or in part by another site.
- Additional sites in a single area may be considered if it is demonstrated that each site will not serve meals to children who are served by another site in the same area for the same meal. 7 CFR 225.6(d)
- Use the USDA SFSP Capacity Builder to see if other sites operate in the same location as your proposed site. Priority is given to returning SFSP sponsors and sites.
Please review the 1/18 SFSP Newsletter for additional information and resources.
Questions? Please email our Summer Meals Team.
The 2021–22 Washington Public School Data for Area Eligibility Report is now available.
This report may be used to establish area eligibility for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Seamless Summer Option (SSO). Area eligibility may be assigned if school data indicates that the proposed meal site is located in an attendance area of a public school where at least 50% of the children are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals.
The Area Eligibility in Child Nutrition Programs Reference Sheet provides more details on area eligibility.
Questions? Please contact your program specialist.
OSPI Child Nutrition Services (CNS) invites you to participate in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Distribution Program (FDP) for the 2022 Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).
Note: USDA has not provided details about area eligible waivers for Summer 2022 operations. If all sites operated under the area eligible waiver last year, and the waiver is not extended this program year, you will not be eligible for this entitlement.
Why USDA Foods?
The USDA Foods program offers a wide variety of nutrient-dense, kid-friendly food and provides a great value that assists in achieving a balanced budget.
Organizations earn entitlement dollars based on the number of meals served during the previous years’ operation. Sponsors that earned at least $50.00 in USDA Foods entitlements based on their 2021 operation are eligible to participate this year.
This Years’ Items May Include
- Individual fruit cups
- Pre-cooked beef patties
- Canned beans
- Canned fruit
USDA Food Ordering
- There is a minimum case requirement when ordering.
- Dry Items– 15 cases.
- Frozen Items – 15 cases.
- While USDA Foods uses entitlement dollars, associated fees are charged to the sponsor (processing fees, delivery fees, storage fees, etc.).
How to Participate
- Complete the Intent to Order USDA Foods - for SFSP Summer 2022 by Thursday March 10, 2022.
- CNS will contact interested sponsors with additional information and ordering instructions.
- The ordering period is March 23–25, 2022.
- School Districts currently receiving USDA Foods will receive their SFSP orders with their NSLP May Surplus order, if applicable.
- Non-school district SFSP Sponsors will arrange to pick-up orders May 2–20, 2022. Pick up location will be shared at a later date.
Questions? Please contact email the FDP team or call 360-725-6215.
Who Must Attend Annual Training?
Training is required for all sponsors who wish to operate the SFSP. Sponsor administrators must attend training and then train all sponsor staff.
Who must attend "New Sponsor" training?
Sponsors who did not operate SFSP in summer 2021; sponsors electing to operate the SFSP and have not operated a Child Nutrition Program previously; returning sponsors with new lead administrative staff; returning sponsors required to attend as part of their corrective action plan.
Training Requirements
New sponsors must complete the following training to operate the SFSP in summer 2022:
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In-Person SFSP Annual Training
- Civil Rights* recorded training
- Procurement* recorded training
- Budget and Financial Viability, Capability, and Accountability (VCA)* training
*NOTE: Civil Rights & Procurement trainings can be waived if training was completed earlier in the year with another CNS program. Please keep documentation regarding training completed. The Budget and Financial Viability, Capability, and Accountability (VCA) training is not required for Local Education Agencies.
Please review the Intro to SFSP recorded training for details on program operations.
Additional Details
More information on application requirements will be released in the coming weeks. At this time, there has been no indication the USDA will extend any nationwide waivers that were available for SFSP operators in 2020 and 2021, therefore, training will be focused on regular SFSP requirements.
Questions? Contact your OSPI CNS Program Specialist or email the Summer Meals Team.
Who Must Attend Annual Training?
Training is required for all sponsors who wish to operate the SFSP. Sponsor administrators must attend training and then train all sponsor staff.
Who is a "Returning Sponsor"?
Returning Sponsors: Includes sponsors who operated the SFSP during summer 2021 and do not have new lead administrators, and are not required to attend in-person training as part of a corrective action plan.
Training Requirements
Returning sponsors may watch a recorded training instead of attending the in-person training. This training will be available on the OSPI CNS website and additional information will be shared in upcoming SFSP Newsletters.
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Program Training
Returning sponsors may attend In-Person SFSP Annual Training or the virtual SFSP Returning Sponsors Training (live or recorded) to meet their annual training requirements.
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Virtual SFSP Returning Sponsors Training
This live training will be recorded and posted to the SFSP Returning Sponsors Annual Training Moodle after closed captioning is complete. Please register below if you would like to attend the live Returning SFSP Sponsors training.
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In-Person SFSP Annual Training
If you are a returning sponsor and would prefer to attend the New Sponsor in-person training rather than the Returning Sponsor recorded training you can register below:
- Civil Rights* recorded training
- Procurement* recorded training
- Budget and Financial Viability, Capability, and Accountability (VCA)* training
*NOTE: Civil Rights & Procurement trainings can be waived if training was completed earlier in the year with another CNS program. Please keep documentation regarding training completed. The Budget and Financial Viability, Capability, and Accountability (VCA) training is not required for Local Education Agencies.
Additional Details
More information on application requirements will be released in the coming weeks. At this time, there has been no indication the USDA will extend any nationwide waivers that were available for SFSP operators in 2020 and 2021, therefore, training will be focused on regular SFSP requirements.
Questions? Contact your OSPI CNS Program Specialist or email the Summer Meals Team.
Please be aware that the USDA nationwide waivers expire when your school year has ended. Once your school year has ended, please prepare to return to traditional summer program requirements.
Which program should be operated?
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Seamless Summer Option (SSO): School Meal Program sponsors are eligible to operate.
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Summer Food Service program (SFSP): Local Education Agencies, Tribes, non-profit organizations, government entities, and colleges or universities are eligible to operate.
- Meals must be served at sites located in areas where at least 50% of children are eligible for free or reduced-price meals via either school or census data.
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SFSP Meal Pattern may be followed.
- Meals are reimbursed at the applicable SFSP rate.
If a district plans to offer meals only to students enrolled in summer school, the NSLP/SBP must be extended. Under NSLP/SBP, a by-name meal count is required and meals must be claimed according to a student’s approved eligibility status.
The Meal Program Comparison Chart provides additional information on the similarities and differences between the summer programs.
Questions? Please email the SFSP team.
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