Child nutrition programs seek Summer Food Service sponsors

OKLAHOMA CITY (Jan. 5, 2021) – Sponsoring organizations for the 2021 Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) are now being sought by the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) Child Nutrition programs. Eligible sponsors include public or governmental agencies, private, nonprofit residential summer camps and private, nonprofit organizations.

The program provides nutritious meals at no charge to children during the summer, when school is not in session. The focus is on children from needy areas who participate in summer educational or recreational programs and for eligible children enrolled in summer camps. Children age 18 and under may receive meals through SFSP. A person 19 years of age and over who has a mental or physical disability (as determined by a state or local educational agency) and who participates during the school year in a public or private non-profit school program (established for the mentally or physically disabled) is also eligible to receive meals.

Needy areas are defined as those in which half of the children are eligible for free- and reduced-price meals in school. Eligibility may also be determined by census information or individual eligibility of children. Financial assistance is given to approved sponsors to assist with the cost of obtaining, preparing and serving food under the program, including administrative costs.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister said many Oklahoma communities do not have a summer food service program sponsor.

“Continued access to no-cost, healthy meals throughout the summer months ensures nutrition and learning when school is not in session,” Hofmeister said. “Not only does the Summer Food Service Program allow sites to serve meals to children who wouldn’t otherwise have them, but because of the pandemic, the program has been critical in feeding students who aren’t attending school in person right now, helping to close the gap of food insecurities.”

To become a SFSP sponsor and to learn more about the required upcoming trainings, contact Dee Houston at (405) 522-4943, (405) 420-9367, or dee.houston@sde.ok.gov.

In accordance with federal law and USDA civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape and American Sign Language) should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (Form AD-3027), call (866) 632-9992 or write a letter. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. Submit the completed AD-3027 form or letter to the USDA via:

Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410

Fax: (202) 690-7442 Email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.