February 20, 2006	Volume 5, Number 5

Summer Food Service Program sponsors sought

The Department of Public Instruction is seeking sponsors for this year’s program that provides free meals to children from economically disadvantaged families during school summer vacations.

“During the school year, students have access to nutritionally balanced meals through the School Breakfast and School Lunch programs. By feeding hungry children, we increase learning and help our efforts to close the achievement gap,” said State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster. “When our students are on summer break, sponsors of the Summer Food Service Program continue this important service for our state’s economically disadvantaged children, providing nutrition, supporting appropriate physical and cognitive growth, and helping children develop good eating habits.”

Wisconsin is one of seven states approved this year to participate in the Simplified Summer Food Program for 2006. Piloted in 2001 and now including 26 states, the program has boosted sponsor participation and children’s attendance at Summer Food Service Program sites. The Simplified Summer Food Program allows sponsors to receive full reimbursement based on the number of meals served, and apply the funds to both operating and administrative costs thus streamlining the claims process. Previously, administrative and operating claims were figured separately. Additionally, excess funds, after covering operating and administrative costs, are available for allowable program costs to improve program operations.

The DPI has administered the Summer Food Service Program since its inception in 1975. The agency contracts with public and private schools; nonprofit organizations; city, county, and tribal governments; and other organizations to feed low-income children during the summer months. Nationally, more than 26 million children eat school lunch daily when school is in session, and about half of them receive their meals free or at a reduced price because they are from families with low household incomes. The summer program offers them nutritious food when school is not in session.

Last year, Wisconsin’s 96 summer food sponsors served approximately 1.3 million meals at more than 400 sites. For the 2006 program year, sponsors may be:

• public or private nonprofit schools;
• public or private nonprofit residential camps;
• local, municipal, county, tribal, or state governments;
• public or private nonprofit colleges or universities that participate in the National Youth Sports Program;
• Upward Bound programs;
• libraries; or
• private nonprofit organizations (under special conditions).

Applications for the Summer Food Service Program for the 2006 program year must be completed on-line. The 2006 training registration information also is available on the web at http://www.dpi.wi.gov/fns/training.html. New sponsors are required to attend training on March 14 in Madison. Continuing sponsors for the 2006 summer program are invited to choose a training session on March 6 in Rhinelander; March 10 in Oak Creek; March 16 in Madison; or March 22 in Rice Lake.

Meals for the Summer Food Service Program must be served in accordance with federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, which prohibits institutions from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any U.S. Department of Agriculture-related activity should write to the USDA Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Additional information about the Summer Food Service Program is available from Amy Kolano, (608) 266-7124 or at http://www.dpi.wi.gov/fns/sfsp1.html.

Last updated on 2/20/2006