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Apply for the Summer Meals for Kids Grant – CNS Application Workbook by Friday, March 29th at 4 pm PT.
The Washington State legislature has provided $100,000 for the Summer Meals For Kids grant. This is a competitive grant for existing Summer Food Service Program sponsors in good standing.
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These funds may be used to:
- Increase the number of sites participating in the summer meal programs and/or the reach of a site through a meal distribution program.
- Increase the number of meals served in existing programs and sites.
- Begin or expand promotion and outreach for a SFSP, including Washington's Farm-to-Summer Week (July 15–19, 2024).
- Provide training to staff and volunteers for operation of new equipment, outreach activities, etc.
- Improve meal quality, equipment, or small supplies used in the program.
Special emphasis for Summer 2024 is:
Here are some ideas from previous applications:
- Marketing materials such as vehicle wraps, billboard space, sandwich boards, or printing of marketing materials (i.e. stickers, door hangers, etc.).
- Meal delivery vans/busses/food trucks;
- Portable plug-in coolers;
- Portable hand-washing stations;
- Gardening equipment and supplies for meal site gardens that are used to provide food to the program and/or support nutrition education activities.
Keep an eye out for a SFSP Special Update Email the week of 2/26/24 – 3/1/24 with links to the Grant Application Workbook to apply*.
(*This grant application will no longer be hosted in iGrants)
Questions? Please email the CNS Grants team.
It's time to start thinking about Summer Meals, and what better way than a kickoff event!
Join us for a short webinar to meet staff, discuss training, and hear about 2024 SFSP plans.
Register for the 2024 SFSP Kickoff Webinar
Date: Tuesday, February 13
Time: 3–4 pm PT
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) reimbursement rates for 2024.
Rates are effective January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024. Review the rates on the CNS Claims and Fiscal webpage, under the SFSP dropdown.
Questions? Please email the Summer Meals team.
SFSP Annual Training is coming soon!
Join us for facilitated discussion and networking sessions. Choose the track option that is best for you; one for LEAs and one for Community Sponsors.
SFSP Annual Training | Tumwater ESD 113
Register here: https://www.pdenroller.org/ospi/catalog/165288
Date: Thursday, March 28, 2024
Time: 8:30am – 4:30pm
SFSP Annual Training | Spokane ESD 101
Register here: https://www.pdenroller.org/ospi/catalog/165291
Date: Tuesday, April 16, 2024
Time: 8:30am – 4:30pm
In-person annual training is intended for new sponsors, new lead administrators and returning sponsors as part of required Corrective Action. All sponsors are encouraged to attend the in-person training to connect with other sponsors. Returning sponsors are encouraged to attend in-person training.
Virtual Annual Training Option: All sponsors including new sponsors, new lead administrators and returning sponsors as part of required Corrective Action will also be able to meet annual training requirements virtually using our new online training platform, Canvas. More details to come.
Want to get a jump start on planning? Email summermeals@k12.wa.us or email your assigned SFSP specialist.
The WSDA Farm to School Purchasing Grant is a competitive reimbursement grant available to schools, childcare centers, and summer food service programs for the purchase and use of Washington-grown foods in child nutrition programs.
Timeline:
- Round 2 Grant Period: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025
- Application Opens: late February/early March 2024
- Application Closes: April 2024
- Awards Announced: June 2024
Application Eligibility for Round 2:
- Active program operators of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP - childcare), and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) or Seamless Summer Option (SSO).
- Family Day Care Home providers may not apply individually, but they may participate through the organization that oversees them.
- Tribal schools and Tribal early learning centers.
- Recipients of a 2023–2025 Round 1 WSDA Purchasing Grant are not eligible to apply.
In summer 2024, Washington State will launch Summer EBT, “SUN Bucks”, a new grocery benefits program that provides families $120 for each eligible school-aged child to buy groceries when school is out. The new, permanent program is in addition to free meals that kids of all ages can get at summer meal sites in their communities.
Benefits of Summer EBT:
- Helps parents and caregivers buy healthy foods for their children.
- Gives families the flexibility to select foods that fit their culture and lifestyle.
- Improves food security and diet quality for participating children.
Eligibility:
- Children who live in a household already receives assistance program benefits (SNAP, TANF, FDPIR), OR
- Child attends a school that operates the National School Lunch or School Breakfast Program (NSLP/SBP), AND
- Is directly certified for free and reduced-price school meals, or
- Submits a qualifying free and reduced-price meal application, or
- Submits a qualifying Family Income Survey (FIS), or
- Submits a Summer EBT application
Help Families in Your Community:
- Spread the word to families in your community! Use the Summer EBT Outreach Toolkit to promote the program with families.
- Encourage families who may have eligible children to submit a free and reduced-price meal application or Family Income Survey.
- Encourage families who receive free and reduced-price meal benefits to update their mailing address.
- Inform households that participation does not impact immigration status.
Questions? Visit https://www.fns.usda.gov/sebt.
The USDA recently released the Supporting the Use of Traditional Indigenous Foods in the Child Nutrition Programs Cooperative Agreement on Grants.gov, which will award $2 million in total grant funding to up to four organizations. The purpose of this funding is:
- To provide regionally focused training and technical assistance for nutrition professionals in schools serving tribal communities.
- To increase procurement, preparation, and crediting of traditional Indigenous foods in schools serving tribal communities.
- To ensure that nutrition education is provided to accompany the traditional Indigenous foods that are included in meals.
Applicants must be led and staffed primarily by members of Federally Recognized Tribes and/or Native Hawaiians.
The grant funds may be used to support the use of traditional Indigenous foods in the Summer Food Service Program.
Additional Information:
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Register here for the February 13 (12:00 pm PT) informational webinar.
- Applicants must provide a Letter of Intent by February 19, 2024
- Submit proposals by March 18, 2024.
- Grant applications must be submitted through grants.gov.
Team Nutrition is excited to announce new tools and food yields in the Food Buying Guide (FBG) for Child Nutrition Programs Interactive Web-based Tool!
- The interactive flow chart on using the preparation yield walks users through when to use the Preparation Yield factor in the Recipe Analysis Workbook (RAW).
- An Ounces to Pounds Calculator allows users to easily convert ounces to pounds and pounds to ounces to make converting units a breeze!
- New foods are available in the FBG! New additions consist of USDA Foods frozen mixed vegetables and a variety of meat items.
 Explore the Food Buying Guide today!
If you were unable to attend the rural non-congregate informational meeting, please reach out to your SFSP/SSO specialist for a copy of the slide deck.
With the new rural designations allowed by the interim final rule, some sites that were previously not considered rural may be considered rural now. The slides also include the criteria and requirements for serving non-congregate meals and the allowable service models in WA state. We encourage you to review the information and resources provided to make informed choices for your summer program.
Questions? Email us at summermeals@k12.wa.us
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If your organization will be applying to participate in SFSP this year for the first time as a new sponsor OR your organization operated SFSP in 2022 or earlier, but chose not to operate in 2023 (what we call a Gap in Service) these instructions are for you.
- Please visit our New Sponsors | OSPI web page and read the information under the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) dropdown.
- Complete the New Sponsor Questionnaire. Use this checklist to collect the documents needed to complete the questionnaire. Information entered in an unsubmitted or incomplete survey will be lost.
- Once a checklist is received, Megan Harlan, SFSP Program Supervisor, will contact you with questions and steps for continuing the onboarding process. Start early, as it can take up to a month to be approved to apply.
Questions? Please email our summer meals inbox: summermeals@k12.wa.us
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The opening date of SFSP applications in WINS is now March 1!
SFSP program specialists will review applications when all required components and completed checklist are submitted.
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This year, Child Nutrition Services is implementing a state deadline for SFSP applications of June 1. Please note this is a change to the previous June 15 deadline.
Questions? Contact your assigned SFSP specialist or email our summer inbox: summermeals@k12.wa.us
To support sponsors in integrating local foods into your meals, OSPI CNS is excited to feature Harvest of the Month resource sheets. Each month we will highlight one local food that will be in season the following month. The resource sheets will include fun facts, nutritional information, selection and storage tips, recipe ideas, and educational resources.
For March, we are featuring wheat. Click here to check it out. You can find this, and future Harvest of the Month resource sheets on our Farm to Summer webpage.
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February 13
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SFSP Kickoff Webinar | 3–4pm PT
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March 1
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SFSP/SSO Applications Open
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March 28
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SFSP Annual Training | Tumwater - Register
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April 16
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SFSP Annual Training | Spokane - Register
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June 1
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SFSP/SSO Application Submission Deadline
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