This is part two of a series of presentation that provide an overview of planning and administering the Summer Food Service Program or SFSP. In this presentation we will cover site types and site selection.
Sponsors may operate the SFSP at one or more sites which are the actual locations where meals are served, and children eat in a supervised setting. Eligible sites are those that serve specific groups of low-income children or that serve children in low-income areas where 50% or more of children qualify for free or reduced-priced meals. This is also referred to as area eligible. Sponsors must provide documentation that proposed sites meet the income eligibility criteria required by law. We will now discuss the different types of sites.
The most common type of site is an open site. Open sites are located in an eligible area and sponsors of open sites are responsible to ensure meals are made available to all children in the area on a first-come, first-served basis. For example, if you have an open site at a Boys and Girls Club be sure the staff welcome all children and not just those attending the Boys and Girls Club program.
On occasion, a site that would normally be open to the board community must limit attendance for reasons of space, security, safety, or control. But this type of site is known as restricted open. The sponsors must make known publicly that the site is open on a first-come, first-served basis to all children in the community but that the meal service will be limited for one of the aforementioned reasons. An example of this situation might be a reading program at a library that has a set room capacity. This site transitioned to restricted open due to space reasons.
Another type of open site is mobile. In open mobile sites, the sponsor delivers meals to an area using a route with a series of stops at approved sites in the community. The meal service must take place on approved days, during approved times. Additionally, meal service must be supervised, and meals must be consumed at the drop-off location. Mobile sites may provide the flexibility sponsors need to reach children who do not have access to traditional meal sites. For example, in rural areas where children may live in isolated locations or in urban areas where violence or traffic safety may limit viable options for site locations. Remember, sites are considered mobile only if they are on a route. If a sponsor has a site at a park where staff set up meal service each day and the park is the only site that the staff go to, that is not considered a mobile site.
Another type of site is a closed enrolled site. Closed enrolled sites are open only to enrolled children or to an identified group of children as opposed to the community at large. Closed enrolled sites must establish eligibility either through the individual income eligibility of the children attending or through area eligibility. To establish eligibility based on the income of the individual children, sites must collect household applications. An example of a closed enroll site is an art program. Children enrolled for art programs and those in attendance receive a meal. Accredited summer schools do not qualify as closed enrolled sites but can participate in SFSP as open sites if they are open to the community for meal service.
State agencies may approve meal service sites that are not identified as nonprofit locations if the sites are operated under the sponsorship of an eligible public or private nonprofit service institution. Operate as open sites or restricted open sites are located in an eligible are and serve all meals at no charge. If approved to operate the meal service at a for-profit site a sponsor must maintain operation control over the meal service at the site and must ensure that no SFSP funds are provided to the site. Only the sponsors trained staff and volunteers and sponsor trained site staff serving as volunteers are permitted to distribute the meals. Enrolled for-profit sites and for-profit camps are no eligible to participate.
Camps can be residential or non-residential day camps which offer regularly scheduled food service as part of an organized program for enrolled children. Unlike open restricted open and closed enrolled sites, sponsors of both residential and non-residential camps do not have to establish area eligibility. However, they must collect and maintain individual household applications. Camps are reimbursed only for those enrolled children who meet the free or reduced-price eligibility standards. With state agency approval, camps may claim reimbursement for serving up to three meals or two meals and one snack to eligible children each day. Therefore, a camp may not claim reimbursement for snacks on days that it claims reimbursement for breakfast, lunch, and supper. Alternately a camp may not claim reimbursement for a third meal on days that it claims a snack for reimbursement.
School food authorities applying to operate SFSP at the same site where they provide meal services to the National School Lunch Program may follow the application requirements for experience SFSP sponsors and sites, instead of the application requirements for New Sponsors and Sites. Schools Food Authorities must provide the following information when applying to operate the SFSP: whether the site is rural or non-rural, whether the site’s food service will be self-prepared or vended and if the site is a migrant site. Certification from a migrant organization that the site primarily serves children of migrant worker families is required.
If the site is a homeless site, information demonstrating the site is not a residential child care institution, a description of the method used to ensure that no cash payments or other in-kind services are used for meal service, and certification that the site only claims meals served to children are also required.
A tribal government is recognized as a public entity or local government when consistent with state law. Thus, a tribal government may sponsor SFSP sites as long as other eligibility requirements are met. A tribal government granted nonprofit status would be considered a private nonprofit entity for purposes of SFSP and therefore could act as a sponsor of SFSP sites as long as other eligibility requirements are met.
A rural area is any area that is not part of a Metropolitan Statistical Area as defined by the Office of Management and Budget. To determine whether a site is rural, sponsors may use the FNS rural designation tool. Migrant sites eligibility is based upon a determination that the site predominantly serves children of migrant workers. The site’s operate as area eligible open or restricted open sites and are reimbursed for meals served to all attending children. To confirm migrant status, sponsors must submit information obtained form a migrant organization that certifies that the site primarily serves children of migrant workers. The determination of site eligibility based upon migrant status must also be updated annually. With state agency approval, migrant sites may claim reimbursement for serving up to three meals or two meals and one snack each day. Contact your state agency to be put in contact with your local migrant center.
A continuous school calendar is defined as a situation in which all or part of the student body of a school is on a vacation for periods of 15 continuous school days or more during October through April and in attendance at regularly scheduled classes during most of May through September. Some school districts use a calendar that provides less than 15 days for off-track periods. In these situations, state agencies may waive the 15 continuous school day requirement, provided that the school system is operating regular class sessions on a year-round basis. When schools operate on a year-round or continuous school calendar, the SFSP may offer meals throughout the year to preschool children and off-track students. These sites may be open or closed enrolled sites, located inside the school or at other locations.
If a year round site is located in the school, sponsors must be careful not to double claimed meals or claim SFSP rates for meals served to on-track students participating in the NSLP and should establish different meal services for the year-round and on-track populations. Keep separate meal counts and develop cost allocation plans for proper proration of overhead and administrative costs between the programs. If operated as an open site in a location other than the school, the meal service must be open to the entire community and must be eligible based on school or census data.
A National Youth Sports Program site or NYSP, may qualify for the SFSP by determining that 50% of the children enrolled reside in geographical areas where poor economic conditions exist and meet the income eligibility guidelines for free or reduced-price school meals. Or by certifying in writing that it meets the income eligibility guidelines of the Department and Health and Human Services. Which is the primary grantor for NYSP.
Upward Bound requires that two-thirds of the participants in a program must be both low-income and potential first-generation college students. Therefore, closed enrolled sites that serve only Upward Bound participants automatically qualify for SFSP participation. Closed enrolled sites that are not area eligible and that serve both Upward Bound and non-Upward Bound participants, must maintain applications on file to document that enough children meet the individual income eligibility requirements to satisfy the 50% threshold required for closed enrolled sites.
Across the country sponsors are opening sites at farmers markets as a way to increase access to healthy foods. Concentrated foot traffic around fresh nutrition foods, along with existing events and activities make farmers markers ideal partners in helping kids and teams stay active and nourished while school is out. Setting up a meal sites at a farmer’s market also allows sponsors to leverage existing activities that are associated with the market, giving kids an enjoyable experience in addition to a healthy meal and removing the burden of coordinating activities from scratch. State agencies and sponsors can use USDA’s farmers market directory to locate markets in their area.
Once you have determined the type of sites to sponsor, the next steps include: 1) select site locations, 2) determine site eligibility, and 3) notify your local heal department.
The first step is to select site locations. The USDA capacity builder map is a great tool that can help you identify high-need eligible area and potential sites, such as libraries, schools, museums, and low-income housing units. In addition to using the capacity builder map, talk with community stakeholders such as the local school district, anti-hunger organizations, and community leaders; to determine where the need in the community is. It’s important to also select sustainable sites.
The most important things to look for when selecting a site are, first that it is a healthy and safe environment for children. Next, you will want to make sure that the location can accommodate a large number of children and that there are appropriate places to eat. In the SFSP children are free to sit at tables or on the ground picnic style. Pick sites that are sustainable and sites that offer educational enrichment and recreational activities.
Be creative when looking for sites. Partnered with various organizations, groups, and community members, as you look for the best places in eligible areas to reach the most children. Sites can be almost anywhere as long as they are eligible and can safely accommodate a group of children eating in a congregate setting. Potential sites might include libraries, schools, museums, and low-income housing units.
The next step is to determine the site’s eligibility. If a site is located in an area where 50% or more of the children residing in the area are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals the site is considered area eligible. To document are eligibility, school October survey data where the most recent census data may be used. School or censes data qualifying a site as eligible for five years. Camps must use and closed enrolled sites have the option to use household income applications.
The last step in the site selection process is notifying the local health department of all site locations and to request a Health Department inspection. If your sites participate in the NSLP, SBP, or CACFP, and regularly receive health inspections through those programs, you do not need to request an additional health inspection for the SFSP.
Additional information can be found in the additional resources section of this course or in Chapter 1 of the administration guide of the Summer Food Service Program.
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