Summer Food Service Program
The Summer Food Service Program is designed to fill the nutrition gap and make sure children can get the nutritious meals they need.
During the school year, many children receive free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch through the School Breakfast and National School Lunch Programs. What happens when school lets out? Hunger is one of the most severe roadblocks to the learning process. Lack of nutrition during the summer months may set up a cycle for poor performance once school begins again. Hunger also may make children more prone to illness and other health issues. The Summer Food Service Program is designed to fill the nutrition gap and make sure children can get the nutritious meals they need.
| Notices and Events |
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| - View the latest updates from the USDA Child Nutrition Summer Food Service Program (All the memos that have SFSP in the title apply to the Summer Food Service Program Sponsors) |
| Newsletters |
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How to Get Started
Am I eligible to sponsor a program?
Organizations that can serve as sponsors must be:
- A public school food authority
- A public or nonprofit private residential summer camp
- Units of a local, city, county, tribal or state government
- A public or private nonprofit college or university that participates in the National Youth Sports Program
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A private, non-profit (501(c)(3) organization
If my organization is eligible, what next?
- Contact the Oklahoma State Department of Education Child Nutrition Programs’ (OSDE-CNP) office at 405-521-3327 and speak with the Summer Food Service Program Coordinator.
- You must attend a state-mandated Summer Food Service Program training.
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Ensure that your sites are located in an area in which at least 50 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. Your local school district or the OSDE-CNP office can help you with this.
What else do I need to get started?
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Kids
Children 18 years old and under, along with people up to 21 years old participating in state education programs for the mentally or physically disabled, can receive summer meals. -
Meal Sites
Sites are usually parks, schools, playgrounds, gymnasiums, community centers, churches, apartment complexes, or day camps. They will be approved as “eligible” during the application process. -
Staff
Employees are needed to manage meal sites, prepare meals, and administer the Summer Food Program. Employees can be volunteers or paid with funds left over after food is purchased. Among the employees needed is a bookkeeper to compile financial and administrative records, a manager to ensure the sites are well organized and easy to manage, and staff willing to coordinate and communicate with Summer Food Program staff to receive technical assistance and needed support.
What other responsibilities do sponsors have?
For a sponsor, there are program regulations and policies (both at the federal and state agency level) to ensure the program is run accordingly. The most important of these includes:
- Serving meals that meet USDA standards as well as state policies and procedures,
- Training all personnel working at a meal site,
- Maintaining records related to meal production, meal counts, sponsor finances and nutrition education, and
- Adhering to all contractual agreements made with the OSDE.
Farm to Summer Resources
Content provided by the USDA to educate you on Farm to School, Tribal foods, and Local meat. For more information from the Food and Nutrition Service’s Office of Community Food Systems, please visit www.usda.gov/farmtoschool. Questions? Email us at farmtoschool@fns.usda.gov.
- Food & Nutrition Service - Farm to School
- Farm to Summer Fact Sheet
- Tribal Foods Fact Sheet
- Local Meat Fact Sheet
Public Notification
OK State Department of Education submitted a waiver request to USDA to waiver three processes in the operation of the Summer Food Service Programs. Approval of this wavier will provide the following benefits:
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Waive requirement that closed enrolled sites determine eligibility based on documentation that at least half of the enrolled children at each site are eligible for free or reduced priced meals. 7 CFR 225.15(f)(1).
- Will allow returning site(s) that operated successfully during the previous summer (or other most recent period of operation) and had no serious deficiency findings and (b) SFSP sponsors in good standing in CACFP and NSLP, the requirement that sponsors shall visit each of their sites at least once during the first week of operation, 7 CFR 225.15(d)(2), and sites operating one week or less, the requirement that sponsors shall visit each of their sites at least once during the first week of operation. 7 CFR 225.15(d)(2).
- Waive requirement that three hours must elapse between the beginning of one meal service, including snacks, and the beginning of another, and requirement that the duration of the meal service shall be limited to two hours for lunch or supper and one hour for all other meals. 7 CFR 225.16(c)(2).
USDA Nondiscrimination Statement
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits.
Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: How to File a Complaint, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
1. mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
2. fax: (202) 690-7442; or
3. email: program.intake@usda.gov.
