Planning to operate this summer? Applications must be approved by OSPI prior to your planned start date to receive the full reimbursement for eligible meals served.
- Complete applications must be received by this Wednesday, June 15, the federal application deadline.
- Please note that it can take up to 30 days to process a complete application.
- A complete SFSP application is your WINS application plus the 2022 Application Submission Survey.
Application Materials Include:
Additional application materials can be found on the SFSP Program Materials/Forms webpage.
Questions? Please email the Summer Meals Team.
Spread the word about your program using branded statewide promotion materials!
OSPI Child Nutrition Services collaborated with United Way of King County and the Washington Dairy Council to create statewide promotional materials for the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). As part of the kickoff, each sponsor will be able to order a promotion kit for their sites at no cost!
Ordering Information
- Each SFSP Sponsor must order kit(s) to distribute to their sites.
- Ordering closes at the beginning of June—Submit your order soon! The earlier you order, the sooner your kits will arrive.
- Kits are expected to be on site no later than July 1, 2022.
Order Your SFSP Promo Kit(s) Today!
Kit Contents:
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Survey Flyer: This year CNS is going to be collecting information on how parents heard about summer meal sites. Post this flyer in a visible location during the week of July 25–29, 2022! We will collect this information directly from parents during the week of July 25–29, 2022. Parents can scan the QR code with their phone or visit the URL listed on the flyer to answer a few questions and register for a chance to win a $50 gift card courtesy of United Way of King County. Each kit includes one (1) survey flyer.
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Banner: Use this banner to promote your site throughout the summer months. Each kit includes one (1) banner.
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Stickers: Stickers can encourage participants to come to your site and try new foods! Each kit now includes 1,500 stickers (updated from 1,000 stickers).
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Bookmarks: Learning does not stop during the summer months! Inspire participants to read and spread the word with these double-sided bookmarks. Each kit now includes 700 bookmarks (updated from 500 bookmarks).
State-wide Branded Materials
We encourage you to use a printer of your choice to have additional items produced. You can use the images and graphics on the SFSP Resources webpage at no charge to you.
- Marketing Materials
- Social Media Content
Questions? Please email the Summer Meals Team.
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.
Typically, 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
Allowable Milk Alternatives*
- Lactose-free milk
- Lactose-reduced milk
*Please note that non-dairy 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
- Please note that Nuts/Seeds may only comprise 50% of the M/MA component at lunch/supper.
- Nut/Seed Butters, such as almond butter, peanut butter, or sunflower butter
- Eggs
Important Note: Tofu is not creditable under the SFSP.
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 the Summer Meals inbox.
Promoting Summer Meal Sites in Washington State
This summer, OSPI will be promoting SFSP meal sites through No Kid Hungry and the USDA Summer Meals4Kids Site Finder. You can use these tools to promote summer meal sites in your communities.
- USDA Resources
- Families can call 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479)
- For Spanish, families can call 1-877-8-HAMBRE (1-877-842-6273)
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Summer Meals Locator- Promote this tool in English or Spanish.
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USDA National Hunger Hotline- can be reached Monday–Friday
- No Kid Hungry Resources
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Texting Line - Families may text "Food" or "Comida" to 304-304 to find free summer meals near them.
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Meal Site Locator - Promote the NKH Meal Site Finder.
Information About Uploads
- OSPI reports meal times and locations of all OPEN sites.
- Keep your Site Applications and Site Calendars up to date.
- Updates are sent weekly to USDA.
Questions? Please email the Summer Meals inbox.
Appeal procedures give USDA Child Nutrition Programs sponsors an avenue to appeal when the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, Child Nutrition Services takes adverse administrative action as required by federal regulations.
These procedures are specific in what actions are appealable and what programs they apply to. Appeal procedures are included in Final Letters summarizing review findings; however, you may review the procedure at any time on our webpages.
Questions? Please contact your program specialist.
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual adjustments to the Income Eligibility Guidelines have been announced for FNS child nutrition programs.
These guidelines are to be used in determining eligibility for free and reduced-price meals and free milk for the period from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023. These guidelines are used by schools, institutions, and facilities participating in the National School Lunch Program (and Commodity School Program), School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program for Children, Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program.
Download a copy of the July 2022–June 2023 Income Guidelines
Check out our SFSP Site Resources!
It is important to communicate with families as we transition back to normal SFSP operational requirements. We understand this may be challenging, as families have been able to grab meals and leave the past two summers. Two major changes from operations during the pandemic include:
- Requiring of all meals to be consumed on site.
- Parents or guardians no longer able to pick up meals for their children.
Resources
OSPI has the following resources to assist with this transition, which can be found on our SFSP Requirements and Materials page! We encourage sponsors to print up these resources and provide them to sites.
Questions? Please email the Summer Meals inbox.
As OSPI has begun to receive SFSP applications, there are some common questions we would like to address.
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All New Sponsor trainings for SFSP this year have been completed. If you have never operated SFSP, did not attend any of our New Sponsor trainings and are still interested in participating in SFSP this summer, please email the Summer Meals Team to discuss options.
SFSP application requirements can be found under the Application Materials dropdown of our SFSP Requirements and Materials page, and training requirements can be found on our Summer Food Service Program Training page.
- Sponsors who already have an approved FY 21–22 application in WINS need to revise this application to access the 2021–22 SFSP application.
- School sites that provide summer school and operate SFSP or SSO must be open to the community in addition to summer school students.
- If a district has sites that are operating SSO during SY 21–22 and are switching to open SFSP sites for traditional summer, the Eligibility section in each site’s WINS application must be updated.
- A complete SFSP application includes your 21–22 WINS application plus the 2022 SFSP Application Submission Survey. We do not begin reviewing applications until the survey has been submitted to OSPI.
- Per RCW 28A.235.160, school districts offering any sort of academic, enrichment, or remedial program during the summer months at qualifying sites must offer a food program at those sites. Qualifying sites are defined as those schools that have 50 percent or more children enrolled during the regular school year who qualify for free and reduced-price meals. Exemptions from this requirement for this summer are being considered on a case-by-case basis. Please reach out to the Summer Meals Team if you would like information on the process to request an exemption this summer.
- If a district is using a community based organization to comply with RCW 28A.235.160, the district must request an exemption by emailing summermeals@k12.wa.us, describing which community based organization is providing meals for summer school children at qualifying sites, and CC-ing the district’s superintendent.
Questions? Please email the Summer Meals Team.
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June 15
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Federal SFSP Application Deadline—Applications received after this date will not be accepted
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| June 15 |
May Claims Due in WINS |
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