Notify OSPI of Field Trips with Meal Service
If sponsors are serving meals off-site due to field trips, sponsors must:
- Notify OSPI one business day in advance
- Ensure trained staff are taking point-of-service counts
- Submit plans via the Field Trip Notification form
Staff Changes
- All site supervisors, staff, and volunteers must be trained before they assist with Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) operations. Staff must be trained on topics based on their role in the SFSP. Site applications should be updated to reflect staffing changes to site supervisors or other staff as soon as possible.
Site Closure Reporting
If any approved SFSP sites ceases operation, sponsors should notify their SFSP program specialist immediately so OSPI can close the site in WINS. Accurate records help ensure compliance with program regulations.
With dry and hot weather, sponsors may request waivers to shift operations in cases of excessive heat and air quality advisories.
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Excessive Heat: This waiver allows SFSP and SSO sponsors in good standing to operate outdoor meal sites without temperature-controlled alternative sites as non-congregate sites on days when the National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Heat Advisory, an Excessive Heat Warning, or an Excessive Heat Watch for the area where the site is located.
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Air Quality Advisories: This waiver allows SFSP and SSO sponsors, in good standing, to operate outdoor meal sites without alternative indoor sites as non-congregate sites on days when the area is experiencing an Air Quality Index (AQI) that reaches a “purple” flag level or higher, as indicated at https://www.airnow.gov/.
Sponsors can request waivers through the Summer Meals Waiver Request Form Summer 2026.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a memo emphasizing program integrity in non-congregate operations. Specifically, the memo describes best practices and considerations for parent or guardian pick-up, site caps, site proximity, and home delivery. OSPI develops oversight processes to ensure compliance with federal regulations.
Questions? Contact summermeals@k12.wa.us.
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SUN Bucks is a grocery benefit that eligible students receive during the summer. This benefit complements Summer Meals to support students’ nutrition over the summer months. |
Over 300,000 Washington students’ benefits have been approved. The card vendor is working to mail cards quickly, but is experiencing delays. This delay may cause some households to have questions.
Direct households with questions to the resources below:
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SUN Bucks Contact Center: Households can call 833-543-3230 to learn whether a student’s benefit has been approved and if a card has been mailed. Households can also call the Contact Center to change their address if needed.
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Sign Up for Text Alerts: If a student’s benefit has not been processed yet, households can sign up for text alerts to get customized updates about the status of their benefit and card.
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DSHS SUN Bucks Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): The SUN Bucks FAQ has been updated to reflect the card mailing delay.
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DSHS SUN Bucks Application: Students who became newly eligible after the last upload should complete a SUN Bucks application to receive benefits.
Questions? Contact the Summer EBT team.
The new USDA child nutrition programs Food Industry Toolkit provides a consolidated page of Team Nutrition resources dedicated to food industry partners.
These resources support food products available to organizations operating school meal programs, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the SFSP. Resources are grouped by topic, including child nutrition (CN) labels, Product Formulation Statements, crediting, and more. Ideal for orienting new food industry staff and updating existing partners, this toolkit aims to provide all relevant resources in one place and reduce the time needed to access information that supports USDA’s child nutrition programs.
The USDA has renamed the Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) to the Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA) as part of the USDA reorganization plan. Learn more about the history of FNA on the USDA About Our Agency website.
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