Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Click Here for a Summer Lunch Program Timeline
How does SFSP work?
Who can sponsor SFSP?
Which type of organizations are eligible to sponsor SFSPa
Can I serve meals year round? What is a Site?
What is useful to consider when choosing a site?
Who is eligible to get free meals?
How Many Meals May Be Reimbursed?
How to Obtain Reimbursement for SFSP Meals?
What are Operating Costs?
What are Administrative Costs?
How are meals prepared?
Info on training
How does SFSP work?
- SFSP is administered at the Federal level by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Services (FNS). FNS decides overall program policy and publishes regulations and payment rates.
- State education agencies administer SFSP in most States. The State agency approves sponsor applications, conducts training of sponsors, monitors SFSP operations, and processes program payments.
- Sponsors sign agreements with their State agencies to run the program and approved sponsors receive reimbursements for serving meals that meet federal nutritional guidelines. Sponsors receive payments from USDA, through their State agencies, based on the number of meals they serve and their documented costs of running the program. All meals are served free to eligible children.
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Who can sponsor SFSP?You can make an investment in the children in your community. If your organization already provides services to the community, and has capable staff and good management practices to run a food service, you can administer SFSP. As a sponsor you will:
- attend your State agency’s training
- locate eligible sites
- hire, train, and supervise staff
- arrange for meals to be prepared or delivered
- monitor you sites
- prepare claims for reimbursement
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Which type of organizations are eligible to sponsor SFSP?
- public or private nonprofit schools
- units of local, municipal, county, tribal, or State government
- private nonprofit organizations
- public or private nonprofit camps
- public or private nonprofit universities or colleges
- community and faith-based organizations
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Can I serve meals year round?
- Yes, Summer lunch community based sponsors can now operate a year-round program through the Community CHild Nutrtion Snack Pilot. Currrently only available in California this pilot allows summer lunch sponsors to seamlessly start serving after school snacks when summer ends and school starts.
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What is a site?
- Some organizations do not have the financial or administrative ability to run the program, but they can supervise a food service for children, along with recreational or enrichment activities, at a site. If you supervise, you will:
- attend your sponsor’s training
- supervise activities and meal service at your site
- distribute meals by following SFSP guidelines
- keep daily records of meals served
- store food appropriately
- keep the site clean and sanitary.
- A site is the physical location, approved by the State agency, where you serve SFSP meals during a supervised time period. There are five types of sites:
- Open; if at least half the children in the area are eligible for free and reduced price school meals. This is based on eligibility data from the local school or census block group.
- Enrolled; if at least half the children enrolled in the program are eligible for free and reduced-price school meals. This is based on income eligibility statements describing family’s size and income.
- Camp; offers a regularly scheduled food serve as part of a residential or day camp program. Based on individual child’s eligibility for free and reduced-price meals.
- Migrant; site primarily serves children of migrant works. Based on the appropriate certification form a migrant organization.
- NYSP; site is a college or university participation gin the National Youth Sports Program. Based on child’s enrollment in NYSP.
**Meal service sites may be located in a variety of settings, including schools, recreation centers, playgrounds, parks, faith-based organizations, community centers, day camps, housing projects, and migrant centers, or on Indian reservations.
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What is useful to consider when choosing a site?
- Where should you put your site within that qualifying area? Perhaps you have only one option or you already plan to operate your site at a facility that your organization owns or operates.
- However, if you are not already committed to a particular location, there may be a multitude of location options for you to consider: schools, parks, libraries, community centers, apartment complexes, or churches. If you can pick and choose your location, there are a few things to consider about potential sites:
- Will there be kids nearby?
- Is it near natural gathering spots for kids? These locations are often the best.
- Is it near residential areas with a high concentration of children?
- Are there safety issues?
- Is the location a safe place for kids to visit?
- Are there traffic barriers or other safety hazards to take into consideration?
- Can kids and families get there easily?
- Is it near public transportation?
- Are there problems with fencing, building access or accessibility that will need to be addressed?
- Is the site visible?
- Is this a site that will be visible to people passing by, helping increase participation simply because kids and families can see your program in action?
- If not, are there ways that you could make the site’s presence more obvious?
- Are there facilities available?
- Kitchen? If you plan to prepare meals on site, is there a kitchen that will be acceptable to both your staff and the county health department?
- Refrigerator? Is there a refrigerator to keep your food at a safe temperature (both before the meal, and for leftovers after the meal)?
- Running water? Is there running water for washing hands and cleaning up?
- Bathroom?
- Tables? What are you going to serve your food on? and where are the kids going to eat?
- Is there space for activities?
- Parks are often wonderful areas for outdoor activities. Community centers may also have great spaces to use.
- If possible, is there space where kids could play in bad weather?
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Who is eligible to get free meals?
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How many meals may be reimbursed?
- Most sponsors may be approved to receive reimbursement for serving lunch and one other meal service. A small number of sponsors serve breakfast only, or breakfast and snack. Snacks are called supplements in SFSP.
- If your site primarily serves migrant children, or you run a residential or day camp, you may be eligible to serve up to three reimbursable meals each day. If you run a camp, you may claim reimbursement only for the meals that are served to a child who qualifies for free and reduced-price meals.
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How to obtain reimbursement for SFSP meals?
- The State agency reimburses SFSP Sponsors on a per-meal basis for the meals they serve to eligible participants that meet program requirements. To receive your reimbursement, you must prepare a claim each month and submit it to your State agency.
- Total reimbursement is limited by per-meal reimbursement rates. Without careful planning you might not cover all of your costs.
- Your costs will depend on many factors, including the number of meals you serve, the price you pay for food or meals, if purchased from a vendor, and the amount of wages you pay your staff.
- Reimbursement is made for both operating costs and administrative costs, and the payment rates are different. These categories are separate, and cannot be mixed together.
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What are operating costs?
- Operating costs are the costs of running your food service. These are the expenses you have for preparing, obtaining, delivering, and serving meals.
- Operating costs include what you pay for:
- processing, transporting, storing, and handling food
- salaries of cooks, site personnel, and other food service workers
- utensils, plates, and other nonfood supplies
- maintenance and rented items, such as kitchen equipment or trucks
- kitchen utilities
- supervision of children
- site clean-up
- transporting children to and from rural sites
- meals that may be served to SFSP workers and volunteers
- The State agency makes two calculations to compute payments of operation costs. They will compare the two amounts and pay you the smaller value, which will be either:
- Your actual documented food service costs or the number meals served to eligible children X the operating payment rate.
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What are administrative costs?
- Administrative costs are the costs you have for activities related to planning, organizing, and administering the program. These expenses should be included in you approved budget. They are completely separate from the costs of food production and service.
- Administrative costs include your program’s share of:
- salaries of supervisory staff, monitors, trainers, and office employees
- rental offices, office equipment, and cars
- office supplies
- building utilities
- insurance costs
- postage
- audits and travel costs
- The state agency makes three calculations to compute your administrative payments. The state agency will make a comparison, and pay you the lowest of the three values, which will be either:
- Your actual documented administrative costs or the number of meals served to eligible children X the administrative payment or the approved budget in your sponsor agreement.
** Remember, SFSP is a nonprofit food service program for children. You will not be able to receive more than your actual program costs. In fact, payments to some sponsors are less than actual costs. Sponsors must be prepared to manage their food service programs carefully, and add other resources to their programs, if necessary. (Click here for available funding and grant options.)
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How are meals prepared?
- A sponsor may prepare its own meals, purchase meals through an agreement with an area school, or contract for meals with a food service management company (vendor).
- If your site has its own kitchen, you may want to prepare meals yourself. If your kitchen is not on the premises, you may still want to prepare you own meals, and then transport them to the site.
- Meals that you prepare yourself receive a slightly higher rate of reimbursement. You would receive “self-prep” rates, whether you prepare the meals form scratch or purchase the components and assemble the meals yourself.
- Many organizations such as faith-based and community groups, or parks, and recreational sites, may lack the kitchen space to prepare meal themselves. In that case, you may arrange to purchase meals from an approved meal preparation facility such as a school or another public or private food supplier. Ask you State agency for assistance in location a vendor or food supplier in your area.
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Info training
- Each year, the State agency conducts training for the supervisors of all organizations that are interested in serving as SFSP sponsors. Training will help you decide whether sponsoring the SFSP is for you. It provides an opportunity for you to meet other sponsors in your State, ask your questions about SFSP, and begin to develop a strategy for launching your program.
- The training covers all necessary areas of running the program for experienced sponsors and for organizations that are new to the program. It will also provide you with important information to help you train your staff and volunteers who will work at your sites
- Who do I contact for more information? Email Melissa Garza (mgarza@cde.ca.gov)
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