Summer Meals For Kids

Officially, it’s the Summer Food Service Program for Children (SFSP). But we call it Summer Meals for Kids here in Virginia. The SFSP was established in 1975 to ensure that children receive the same high quality meals during school vacations that they get in school cafeterias during the school year.

The SFSP is a federally funded program operated nationally by the USDA and administered in Virginia by the Mid-Atlantic Regional Office of USDA. Organizations with summer programs for kids sponsor the program and USDA reimburses them for all meals served free at approved feeding sites in low-income areas to children 18 years and under.

Statewide, there is great need for the SFSP, particularly in those areas of the Commonwealth with many children eligible for free or reduced price School meals. Historically the program has served only about 18.5 percent of these children in Virginia.

How Can You Participate In Summer Meals for Kids?

1. Become a sponsor

2. Run a feeding site

3. Be a meal vendor

4. Volunteer to help a sponsor or site

5. Tell others about Summer Meals for Kids

Who Can Sponsor Summer Meals for Kids?

Summer Meals for Kids is operated on the local level by a sponsoring organization or agency that has been approved by USDA. Sponsorship is open to:

• schools;

• government agencies;

• summer camps;

• private nonprofit organizations (e.g. Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCAs, Community Action Agencies). Private non-profit organizations must have IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit status in order to qualify as a sponsor. Churches, however, are exempt from obtaining documentation of Federal Tax exempt status.

What Is A Feeding Site?

Sponsors operate one or more sites at which meals are served. Sponsors can provide free meals at a central site such as a school, a park, a playground or a community center. Schools that are offering summer courses can open their meal service to the entire community by participating in Summer Meals for Kids. Sponsors apply to operate Summer Meals for Kids at specific sites as part of the overall application for participation in the Program. USDA approves sites that a sponsor may operate.

All meals are served free at sites that are operated or sponsored by a local organization and that are approved by the USDA. In order for a site to be approved, at least 50 percent of the children in the area it serves, or 50 percent of its enrolled children, must be eligible for free or reduced price School Lunch meals.

• Most sites may serve up to two meals daily, usually a lunch and a breakfast.

• Camps can serve up to three meals daily, as can sites that serve primarily migrant children.

For agencies and organizations that are considering participating in Summer Meals for Kids, the Guide to Starting the Summer Food Service Program provides basic information that will help a potential sponsor determine if the Program will work for them.

How Do Sponsors Provide A Meal Service?

Sponsors may choose to prepare the meals they serve under the program, contract with a school, or obtain them from a commercial meal vendor.

What Kind of Financial Assistance Is Available?

Funding for Summer Meals for Kids is based on the number of meals served to children. It is not a grant. That is, sponsors are not "awarded" a certain amount of money for operating the program. Instead, sponsors are reimbursed on a per meal basiss. Reimbursement is made after the sponsor files a Claim for Reimbursement form for meals that were served in the preceding calendar month. Sponsors are reimbursed based on "meals times rates."

Additional information about financial management for all sponsors is available in the Administrative Guide for Sponsors. Camp sponsors can find more information in the Guide for Camp Sponsors.

What Is Site Eligibility?

Meal sites are designated as open, closed enrolled, or camp sites. Open sites serve children in geographical areas where 50 percent or more of the local children are eligible for free or reduced price school meals. This percentage must be documented by data provided by appropriate sources. Examples are school (National School Lunch Program) data, certain census data, or geographic areas of eligibility, such as the area served by a community or neighborhood school that has 50 percent or more of its enrolled children eligible for free or reduced price meals. Documentation of site eligibility is required prior to site approval by USDA.

Closed enrolled sites serve identified groups of children. In most cases a closed enrolled site is closed to the community at large and serves only children enrolled in specific activities or only those enrolled for the food program. When 50 percent or more of the children enrolled in the activities (or food program) are eligible for free or reduced price school meals, all the children who are enrolled are eligible to receive meals at no charge, regardless of their individual eligibility. The percentage of enrolled children who are eligible must be documented by data provided by appropriate sources, such as individual eligibility forms submitted by families of enrolled children or school data. Documentation of site eligibility is required prior to site approval by USDA.

Eligibility of closed enrolled sites can now be based on “area” data (e.g., free-and-reduced-price meal data) for the location of the site, rather than on documentation that at least half the enrolled children are eligible for free and reduced price meals.

Therefore, any site located in an area in which at least 50 percent of the children are from households eligible that would be eligible for free or reduced price school meals will be eligible for reimbursement for all meals served to children, regardless of whether the site serves an identified group of children or is open to the community.

If the percentage of free and reduced price eligible falls below the 50 percent mark, then the site can be designated a day camp site as long as there are organized activities before or after the meal service. Sponsors are reimbursed only for those meals served to eligible children. Documentation of individual eligibility from appropriate sources, such as school data or individual eligibility forms submitted by families of children enrolled to participate at the site is required prior to site approval by USDA.

Residential camps are reimbursed only for those meals served to eligible children; although camps may be reimbursed for up to three meals a day per eligible child. Documentation of individual eligibility from appropriate sources, such as individual eligibility forms submitted by families of children enrolled to participate at the site or school data is required prior to site approval by USDA.

How Do Organizations Apply For Sponsorship?

Sponsors who have participated in Summer Meals for Kids in the previous year automatically are sent a preprinted, renewal application.  Potential new sponsors must complete an application packet in order to be approved to participate in Summer Meals for Kids.  The packet includes several forms that must be completed as well as an instruction booklet, Guide for Preparation of the Application for Sponsorship.

What Are A Sponsor's Responsibilities?

There are a number of requirements and responsibilities involved in sponsoring Summer Meals for Kids.

1. Sponsors cannot delegate management responsibilities. The sponsor is responsible for the quality of meal service, the conduct of site personnel, and the adequacy of recordkeeping.

2. Prior to the beginning date of the Program, sponsors must visit all new sites and sites that experienced problems in prior years to be sure these sites will meet the needs of the size and composition of the audience to be served. These visits must be documented.

3. Prior to the beginning date of the meal service, sponsors must train all sponsor and site personnel who will be involved with the Program. This training must be documented.

4. Program operations must be monitored throughout the operation of the Program. This includes a minimum of two documented visits to each site. These visits must be documented.

5. Sponsors must inform potential beneficiaries of Summer Meals for Kids of its availability and make no discrimination against any child in the operation of the program.

6. Claims for Reimbursement must be submitted within 30 days of the end of the month for which you are claiming reimbursement.

7. Full and accurate records of Program operations must be kept on file for a minimum of three years plus the current fiscal year. Upon request, the sponsors must make those records available to the USDA for audit or administrative review.

Additional information about sponsor responsibilities for all sponsors is available in the Administrative Guide for Sponsors and Guide for Camp Sponsors.

What Are The Responsibilities Of A Site Supervisor?

There must be a person in charge at each site where the meals are served. Some of the responsibilities include taking the meal count each day, assuring that children are served the required meal components, ordering meals for the next day, and dealing with issues that may arise at the site. Additional information about site supervisor responsibilities for all sponsors is available in the Site Supervisor's Guide.

What Meals Can Be Served?

There are four types of meals in Summer Meals for Kids: breakfast, lunch, supper, and snack (or supplement). Different types of sites can be approved for different numbers and types of meals for reimbursement.

• Open and closed enrolled sites can be approved for two meals per day for reimbursement. It can be any combination of meals -- except lunch and supper.

• Residential/nonresidential camps can be reimbursed for a maximum of three meals per day for reimbursement, as can sites that serve primarily migrant children.

Each meal type must meet meal pattern requirements in order for the sponsor to be reimbursed.

Sponsoring organizations can prepare and serve food at their own facilities as well as satellite the food to other sites operated by the sponsor. If self-preparation is not feasible, then the sponsor may contract with an outside organization to prepare, serve, and deliver the meals. If a sponsor chooses to contract for meals from an outside source, there must be a contract or agreement with that outside source.

There are some time restrictions that apply at all sites (except residential/nonresidential camps).

• There must be at least three hours between the beginning of one meal service and the beginning of the next meal service.

• Four hours elapse between lunch and supper when a migrant or camp site serves lunch and supper, with no afternoon snack between the two meals.

• Supper must begin before 7:00 pm and, in all cases, must end by 8:00 pm.

• The serving period for lunch and supper should not exceed two hours.

• The serving period for breakfast and snacks should not exceed one hour.

• Meals must be served during the meal service times approved by USDA.

Additional information about menu planning, meal service, and meal recordkeeping for all sponsors is available in the Nutrition Guidance for Sponsors.

What Records Need To Be Kept?

• Sponsors must keep full and accurate records so they can substantiate the number of program meals served to children that they have submitted on each Claim for Reimbursement. To justify Claims for Reimbursement, sponsors must maintain records of meal counts taken daily at each site.

• Sponsors must also keep full and accurate records of allowable costs incurred in administering and operating the Program.

• Training certification to document that all administrative and site staff that will be working with the Program received training before the Program starts.

• Site Monitoring records for pre-operational visits, first-week visit, and comprehensive review for each site (see Monitor’s Guide).

• Documentation of site eligibility for each open and closed enrolled site.

• Documentation of individual eligibility for the eligible children enrolled at a closed enrolled site or residential/nonresidential camp session. Sponsors must keep full and accurate records so they can substantiate the

Who Administers The Program In Virginia?

If you are interested in seeing that children in your community get these meals, you can contact our office at the address and telephone number listed below. Our staff will be happy to provide you with additional information.

The Summer Meals for Kids is administered in Virginia by:

Food & Nutrition Service, USDA
Mercer Corporate Park
300 Corporate Boulevard
Robbinsville, NJ 08691
Attn: Summer Meals for Kids

Program Contacts

What Other Sources of Help Are There?

Everyone Wins With Summer Meals for Kids!

• Children in low-income areas have free nutritious meals and organized activities during the summer.

• The parents of the children stretch food dollars and have healthy, supervised recreation for their children.

• Cafeteria workers have summer employment.

• Your organization receives Federal money to carry out the program.

• Kids return to school in the Fall ready to learn.

“In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.”

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call, toll free (866) 632-9992 (Voice). TDD users can contact USDA through local relay or the Federal Relay at (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866)377-8642 (relay voice users). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.