Many children participate in school breakfast, lunch, the fresh fruit and vegetable program, and after school snack. However, in the summer they lose access to those nutritious school meals. Hunger in the summertime contributes to “Summer Learning Loss” and obesity, and prevents children from enjoying their summer break. Summer Meal Programs bridge the gap between school years, giving children, age 18 and under, the fuel they need to play and grow throughout the summer and return to school ready to learn.
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is federally funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and state-administered by the Vermont Agency of Education Child Nutrition Programs. The program consists of sponsors who are administratively and fiscally responsible for the program and the sites where meals are served and consumed. Program sponsors can be supervisory unions or school districts, government entities, camps, or private, non-profit organizations. Reimbursement is based on the number of eligible meals served multiplied by a rate, established by the USDA. Rural and self-operated sites are supported by a higher level of reimbursement.
Summer Food Service Program - 2022 Reimbursement Rates
FNS Instruction 796-4, Rev. 4 Financial Management – Summer Food Service Program for Children
FNS Instruction 782-4 Rev. 2 Approval of Child Care Institutions for the Summer Food Service Program
USDA Memos:
For Information on Receiving Meals
Call 2-1-1, the United Way-run resource hotline, or go to the USDA Meals For Kids Site Finder.
All sites listed are open to all children, 18 and under. Information is available mid-June and any necessary changes are made on a weekly basis.
Requirements for Vermont Schools under Vermont Summer Meals Law
16 V.S.A. § 1264 requires public schools that operate the National School Lunch Program to operate a summer meals program if they have at least 50% or more students eligible for free and reduced-price meals in any month in the preceding school year and offer some kind of educational or recreational program or camp for 15 or more hours a week during the summer. To find out your school’s eligibility percentage, please see the most recent Free and Reduced Eligibility Report.
Summer 2022 Summary
In summer 2022, Vermont served almost 800,000 meals at almost 300 sites across the state. There are sites in every county, from the Northeast Kingdom down to Southern Vermont, and Burlington and the islands of Lake Champlain over to the Upper Valley.
Best Practices
- USDA Summer Meals Toolkit: Summer Meal Sponsors
- No Kid Hungry Center for Best Practices
- USDA Best Practices: Meal Service
Sponsor-Level Monitoring Forms
- SFSP First Two Weeks Review Form Summer 2023
- SFSP Pre-Operational Review Form Summer 2023
- SFSP Site Review Form Summer 2023
- SFSP Racial and Ethnic Data Form Summer 2023
- SFSP Non-Congregate Meal Service Review Form Summer 2023
Procedures
- SFSP Appeals Process
- SFSP Serious Deficiency Procedure
- SFSP Application Packet Approval and Allowable Changes Procedure
Resources
- SFSP Annual Procurement Threshold Determinations
- SFSP Income Eligibility Guidelines 2023
- SFSP Reimbursement Rates 2023
- SFSP Summer 2023 Application Packet Overview
- SFSP Training System
- Summer Meals Sponsor Training 2023
- Non-Congregate Meals in SFSP 2023
- Unitized Meal Waiver
- SFSP Meal Pattern
- Family Style Meal Service in the SFSP
- Daily Meal Count Form
- Delivery Receipt for Vended Satellite Meal Service
- Delivery Receipt for Satellite Meal Service
- SFSP New Sponsor Overview
- Translations of SFSP Outreach Statements