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Home » Youth summer meals program seeks sponsors

Youth summer meals program seeks sponsors

Submitted by Julee Christianson on Tue, 02/09/2021 - 13:00

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is seeking sponsors for the 2021 Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). The program, operated by local organizations around the state, provides meals to students over the summer when they do not have access to school meals. Eligible sponsors will operate a nonprofit meal program during the summer for youth aged 18 and younger. Once approved, all children—regardless of family income level—can receive a free meal at a meal site.

This federally funded program may be sponsored by the following organizations:

  • Public and private nonprofit schools,
  • Residential and non-residential summer camps,
  • Nonprofit organizations,
  • Tribal organizations,
  • Units of local, county, municipal, and state government, and
  • Colleges and universities that participate in the Upward Bound Program.

Meal sites must be located in areas where at least 50% of the children qualify for free or reduced-price school meals or where at least 50% of the children enrolled in a specific program are eligible for free and reduced-price school meals.

To mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a Nationwide Area Eligibility Waiver for SFSP sites to operate in areas that do not meet the free and reduced-price eligibility requirement until June 30, 2021.

Meals must meet USDA meal pattern requirements. Sponsors may prepare their own meals or purchase them from a school district or food service management company. Sponsors are reimbursed for eligible meals served.

Each site may serve each child up to two meals per day. Sites serving primarily migrant children and residential camp sites may serve each child up to three meal types per day.

Information regarding training for new sponsors interested in participating during summer 2021 will be released soon. Applications will be available mid-spring.

Institutions may apply for the program or get more information by emailing communitynutrition@k12.wa.us, or by mailing Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, P.O. Box 47200, Olympia, Washington 98504–7200.