Children 18 years and under may receive meals through the SFSP. People over age 18 who are enrolled in school programs for persons with disabilities may also receive meals.
Meals are served at sites located in areas with significant concentrations of children from low-income families.
Who administers this program?
The SFSP is a federally funded program operated nationally by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered in Pennsylvania by the Department of Education. Non-profit organizations sponsor the Program and receive reimbursement for meals served to eligible children at approved meal sites.
Find A Meal Site
Find a Summer Food Service Program meal site near you:
Call 211, 1-866-3-Hungry, or 1-877-8-Hambre
Text "Summer" or "VERANO" to 914-342-7744
How can you help?
Sponsors are organizations that manage the SFSP feeding sites. Sponsors must:
- Complete an Annual Training
- Locate and recruit eligible site(s)
- Hire, train and supervise staff and volunteers
- Arrange for meals to be prepared or delivered
- Monitor their site(s)
- Prepare claims for reimbursement
- Ensure that their SFSP is sustainable through community partnerships, fundraising and volunteer recruitment.
The following types of organizations may be sponsors:
- Public or private nonprofit schools
- Units of local, municipal, county, tribal or State government
- Private nonprofit organizations
- Public or private nonprofit camps
- Public or nonprofit universities or colleges
How to Become a Sponsor – The Application Process
-
1
Step 1
Complete the New Sponsor preliminary paperwork located at the CN PEARS New Sponsor Application Package Site.
Note: Sponsors participating in another Child Nutrition Program must only submit the New Sponsor Checklist and Profile and the CN PEARS User form. -
2
Step 2
After the paperwork is reviewed and processed, Sponsors will receive an email containing a password and login for access to the Child Nutrition Pennsylvania Application and Reimbursement System (CN PEARS) and instructions for completing the CN PEARS Application Packet.
-
3
Step 3
Complete the online CN PEARS Sponsor Application Packet, Annual training, and Civil Rights training.
-
4
Step 4
Sponsors may not operate for reimbursement until the Application Packet is approved.
Some organizations may not have the financial or administrative ability to operate the program, but they can supervise a food service for children. Recreational or enrichment activities at a site are optional unless claiming as a Camp site.
Look for an established sponsor in your area from the sponsor list. Please contact them if you would like to offer your location as a feeding site, or you may contact the Department of Education. Many Sponsors are eager to add sites.
- Sponsor List (Excel)
Site Eligibility
Three main types of sites in the SFSP program are: open, enrolled and camps.
Open sites qualify through area eligibility methods. Open sites serve all children in the area on a first come, first serve basis.
Enrolled sites may also qualify through area eligibility or like camps serve an identified group of children who have proven needs.
Enrolled sites and Camp sites must document eligibility through use of school lists or a Free/Reduced Household Application for Free and Reduced-Price Summer Meals.
- Eligibility Chart (PDF)
Area Eligibility
The No Kid Hungry-Share our Strength’s area eligibility mapping program determines if locations are eligible to host open sites. Area Eligibility Map
After the address of the potential meal site is entered in the box in the upper left-hand corner, the map will display colors.
Area eligibility may also be determined by school data. This indicates a location that is in the attendance area of the school that serves 50% or more free and reduced-price meals in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.
School List
Free and reduced-price information from the schools may be used to determine eligibility for enrolled sites and camps. Sponsors may submit a list of the names of their children to the schools the children attend. The schools will indicate the children who receive free or reduced-price meals. Camps are reimbursed for the children identified; enrolled sites are reimbursed for all children if at least half of the children who attend the site qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
Household Income Application for Summer Meals
Household Application for Free and Reduced-Price Summer Meals Forms may be used for documenting need for enrolled and camp sites. The household of the child must show income levels in the range that will qualify for the program.
Camps are reimbursed for the children identified; enrolled sites are reimbursed for all children if at least half of the children who attend the site qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
Site Supervisor
If you supervise a site, you will:
- Attend your sponsor's training
- Supervise activities and meal service at your site
- Distribute meals by following SFSP guidelines
- Keep daily records of meals served
- Store food appropriately
- Keep the site clean and sanitary
- Help sponsors promote the program to the community
Sponsors that cannot prepare their own food may contract with a Food Service Management Company or a Pre-Plated Vendor. As a vendor, you will:
- Meet appropriate health and sanitation standards
- Prepare meals meeting federal nutritional guidelines
- Deliver meals on schedule
- Keep delivery records
- Fulfill the terms of the agreement or contract
Additional Information:
List of Registered FSMCs/Pre-Plated Vendors (Excel)
Meal Requirements
A sponsor may prepare its own meals, purchase meals through an agreement with an area school or another sponsor of child nutrition programs, or contract for meals with a food service management company or registered vendor.
Meals served in the SFSP must meet federal nutrition requirements to receive reimbursement. These meal pattern requirements are designed to provide balanced, healthy meals and snacks that meet the nutritional and energy needs of children.
Farm to Summer
Although not required, the Farm to Summer Program, is promoted by USDA, and Sponsors are encouraged sponsors to incorporate locally produced foods into summer meals along with food-related, hands-on learning activities. Ideas include:
- Serving locally grown foods in SFSP meals
- Serving meals at farmer’s markets or garden sites
- Involving kids in gardening activities, growing your own food
- Taste testing locally grown produce
- Celebrating locally grown foods on special occasions, such as kick-offs or spike events
- Hosting cooking demonstrations or “food art” days with local foods
- Taking field trips to farms or farmer’s markets
- Hosting farmer - or other agriculture worker - visits to SFSP sites
For more details regarding Farm to Summer, the following link showcases ways to find, buy and serve local foods in SFSP: The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program | Food and Nutrition Service (usda.gov).
Rural Non-Congregate Meal Service
Rural non-congregate summer meal service must be at a site in a low economic area (area eligible) where 50% or more of the students are eligible using school building data National School Lunch Program Reports (pa.gov) or U.S. Census data No Kid Hungry Summer Meals Eligibility Map | Center for Best Practices.* The site must also be in a rural area. The No Kid Hungry Summer Meals Eligibility Map |Center for Best Practices* or Rural Designation | Food and Nutrition Service (usda.gov) can be checked to determine if the site is considered rural.
*When utilizing the No Kid Hungry Summer Meals Eligibility Map, rural filters must be removed.
Rural Non-Congregate site requests must be approved by the Bureau of Food and Nutrition prior to operating. SFSP and SSO Rural Non-Congregate Site Request Form.
Contact Us
Email: RA-SFSP@pa.gov
Phone: 1-800-331-0129
Fax: 717-783-6566