Youth Summer Food Program

Rensselaer County/New York State Child Nutrition Summer Food Service Guidelines

The SFSP is a Child Nutrition Program funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In New York State, the State Education (SED) administers the program. The SFSP provides reimbursement for nutritious meals served in lower income areas at no cost when school is out for 10 weeks during the summer vacation. 

Summer Food Guidelines 

Meals must be served in low-income communities where at least 50 percent of the children are eligible for free and reduces-prices school meals or in other locations where at least 50 percent of the children enrolled in a specific program are eligible for free and reduced-priced school meals.

Children 18 years of age and younger are eligible to participate in the Summer Feeding Program. Persons over 18 years old who are physical or mentally disabled and participating in a public or nonprofit private school program established for children with disabilities may also participate in this program. 

Types of feeding sites:

Open Sites: 
Open site means a site at which meals are made available to all children in the area and which is located in an area in which at least 50 percent of the children are from households/school district that would be eligible for free or reduced price school meals under the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. All sites must provide service to the outside community as well as the children in the program on a first come first served basis. 

Closed Enrolled:
Closed enrolled site means a site which is open only to enrolled children, as opposed to the community at large, and in which at least 50 percent of the enrolled children at the site are eligible for free or reduced price school meals under the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. A list of the children enrolled and financial documentation is required. You do not have to feed walk-in as they are not enrolled in your program. 

For Open Sites that offer Field Trips: 
The food is allowed to leave the site as long the sponsor has been notified of the trip details and the food is served at the scheduled meal time. We do understand that may not always be possible, so please let the sponsor know when that happens and accommodations can be made. If you are an open site, you will need to plan according for the children in community that may walk in. You will have to have a staff member there with meals ready to serve the walk-in. 

New York Child Nutrition Program requires the following from all feeding sites:

• Sites must choose lunch and may choose either breakfast or snack as a second meal, but not required 

• Serve meals to all needy children 18 years of age and under

• Serve meals that meet the minimum meal pattern requirements (Rensselaer County Youth Department will insure that is being done with the vendor)

• Provide adequate supervision during the meal service

• Ensure that children receive all the components of the meal 

• Ensure that children eat all meals onsite 

• Maintain and submit properly such reports that the sponsor (Rensselaer County Department for Youth) requires for the meal service program

• Report  to the Sponsor (Rensselaer County Department for Youth) any changes in the meal times and number of meals required as attendance fluctuates

• Comply with civil right laws and regulation

• Adhere to the local health and sanitary regulations

• Attend the mandatory sponsor training session

Application

• Summer Food Intent to Operate Memo
• Summer Food Intent to Operate Form - Required for all sites
• Attachment 39 - Required for all sites
• Summer Food Service Guidelines

Application Deadline – March 31, 2022

Applications can be emailed to Debbie Fleming @ Dfleming@rensco.com any questions contact Debbie Fleming @ 518-266-7501

Sites

View our listing of sites below; all times are subject to change:

Summer Food Service Program Media Release