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.
USDA Memos:
For information on receiving meals while schools are closed:
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.
Sites are offering a variety of meal service methods such as grab 'n go meals, bus stop route delivery and household delivery upon request.
Any necessary changes to the above information 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 2019 Summary:
In summer 2019, Vermont served 454,461 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 Grand Isle 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
Application Packets
Requesting USDA Foods or Advances – Due April 20th
All Others – Due June 1st
Media Release:
- Template News Release for Open Sites
- Template News Release for Closed Enrolled Sites and Camps
- SFSP Income Eligibility Guidelines 2020
Sponsor-Level Monitoring Forms:
- Unanticipated School Closure SFSP Site Review Form
- Pre-Operational Visit Form
- First Week Visit Form
- Site Review Form
- Racial and Ethnic Data Form
Procedures:
Resources:
- SFSP During Unanticipated School Closures: Claim Submission Training
- SFSP Claim for Reimbursement Submission: Illustrated Step-by-Step Guide
- 2020 Administrative Review Overview
- Sample Procurement Worksheet
- Unitized Meal Waiver for FSMC and Vended Meals during Unanticipated School Closure due to COVID-19
- Unitized Meal Waiver
- SFSP Meal Pattern
- SFSP Meal Pattern During Unanticipated School Closure
