Summer Food Service Program

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) is requesting prospective waivers for non-congregate meal service in school year (SY) 2024-25 for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP),  and the NSLP Seamless Summer Option (SSO).

Beginning in Summer 2024, New York State is implementing Summer EBT, a new federal program to help low-income households with children purchase food over the summer when school is out of session and children can no longer rely on access to free/reduced price school meals.

SP 19-2024, CACFP 07-2024, SFSP 12-2024: Initial Implementation Memorandum: Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is pleased to share the availability of the Turnip the Beet 2024 Nomination Packet. The Turnip the Beet Award recognizes outstanding summer meal program sponsors across the nation who work hard to offer high quality meals to children that are appetizing, appealing, and nutritious during the summer months. Please consider promoting the opportunity to apply for a Turnip the Beet award.

FNS is pleased to announce the release of the 2024 Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Administration Guide. The guide reflects policy updates to the SFSP since its last release in 2016, including policy updates made through the interim final rulemaking, Establishing the Summer EBT Program and Rural Non-congregate Option in the Summer Meal Programs (88 FR 90230).

The New York State Education Department, Office of Child Nutrition is thrilled to announce the rollout of a new online Learning Management System (LMS)! Within the next few days, all current Summer Food Service Program sponsor’s Child Nutrition Management System designated administrators and users will be sent an email granting access to this new system. For anyone that does not receive an email, but would like to access the online trainings, please complete the request form posted on our website. 

Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Sponsors that operated the SFSP in 2023 must complete the SFSP Renewal on the Child Nutrition Management System (CNMS). The renewal is now available, and it is expected that all experienced sponsors will log in and submit the renewal on-line and send any additional required information via email to their program representative. Your program representative is available to assist you with this process. 

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328) amended section 13 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, 42 USC 1761, to include the authorization of a permanent, rural non-congregate meal service through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). On December 29, 2023, the interim final rule, Establishing the Summer EBT Program and Rural Non-congregate Option in the Summer Meal Programs(link is external), codified the permanent rural non-congregate summer meal service for the SFSP.

FNS has issued a memorandum, which is the second set of questions and answers on the rural non-congregate summer meals option established through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (the Act) (P.L. 117-328), and codified through the interim final rulemaking (IFR), Implementing Provisions from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023: Establishing the Summer EBT Program and Rural Non-congregate Option in the Summer Meal Programs (88 FR 90230).

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 established requirements for SFAs conducting outreach for the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).  SFAs may distribute information through means normally used to communicate with households of enrolled children. Acceptable outreach activities may include developing and distributing printed and electronic materials that provide information on the availability and location of summer meals to families of school children prior to the end of the school year.  Here are some outreach strategies for you: