State Education Department Announces Summer Food Service Program

The New York State Education Department is accepting applications for the 2009 Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) from public or nonpublic, nonprofit school food authorities; all local, county, municipal, or state governmental entities; migrant programs; nonprofit agencies; and residential camps interested and eligible in sponsoring an SFSP Program.  

The Summer Food Service Program was established to ensure that low-income children, 18 and younger, continue to receive nutritious meals when schools are not in session. The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service administers the SFSP at the national level and the New York State Education Department administers it at the state level.  

The Fiscal Year 2008 Omnibus Appropriations Act extended the "Simplified" Summer Food Service Program to New York State. The "Simplified" program ensures the maximum level of per meal reimbursement, allows greater flexibility in the use of program funds and reduces some of the reporting requirements. The focus of this program is to serve more eligible children by encouraging new organizations to participate and by expanding existing programs to maximize capacity in providing adequate access to all eligible children in their communities.

About 325,000 New York State children will receive free meals through the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program, which will operate this summer throughout New York State from June 22 through September 4, 2009.

Sponsors must verify that the site where they plan to serve meals is located in an area where at least half the resident children are from households with incomes at or below the eligibility level for free or reduced price school meals. In most instances, current year school data provides the most accurate economic status of a particular community. Potential and existing sponsors can request data from the schools or from the State Education Department to determine eligible program sites.

The Summer Food Service Program sponsors receive federal reimbursement for each meal served to a child, according to predetermined reimbursement rates. The Education Department will hold training workshops in March and April for sponsors planning to participate in summer 2009.

All sponsors must agree to serve meals to any eligible child in accordance with Federal Law and USDA policy, prohibiting 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). The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Sponsors may obtain SFSP applications and additional information by contacting the New York State Education Department, Child Nutrition Program Administration, Room 55/119, Albany, NY 12234-0055, (518) 432-5068.