Seamless Summer Food Waiver:
Winning Over Food Service Directors (FSDs)
Create a target list of Food Service Directors (FSDs) to contact regarding the seamless waiver. How?
If you already have contact with Food Service Directors:
- Think of districts you have worked with in the past either by providing technical assistance or outreach materials. First, go to the folks who trust you.
If you don’t have contact with FSDs:
Start with FSDs who ran the traditional Summer Food Program in 2001 or districts that did not return in 2001. You’re state agency should be able to provide you with a list of these districts. You want to talk with people who know the SFSP program.
Action needed: Identify local Year Round Schools
Action needed: Contact schools in areas where there are not sites, but you know of non-school organizations or agencies interested in becoming sites.
- Make an appointment to meet with the FSD and bring the following materials:
- Seamless Waiver Administrative and Operational Advantages
- "Alisal Overview" by Suzanne duVerrier
- Side by Side
- Waiver Request Form
- The contact information of the state agency staff person in charge of waiver request.
- A list of potential non-school sites in the district area
- Press clippings on the seamless waiver expansion or the Alisal pilot project (call CFPA at 415-777-4422 for faxed copies).
- USDA new Summer Food Program Kit "Food That’s In When School is Out"
- Talking Points
1. What are the benefits?
Less paperwork, less monitoring, less headache.
More time to open new sites, increase length of operation, and FEED hungry kids! Under the Seamless Waiver, school districts can feed kids who are not in school, NSLP meals at school sites and NON-school sites (churches, parks, community centers, etc.) without the burden of running a separate program.
- No new application.
- No SFSP monitoring.
- No field trip request forms.
- No hassle adding sites.
- No "cap" on the number of kids that can be fed.
- No strict eating times.
2. What’s the catch?
There is no catch. The waivers allow school to feed kids not attending school under NSLP guidelines (it is not a combination of the SFSP and NSLP rules). Though schools receive the NSLP "free" reimbursement, which is lower than the SFSP reimbursement, the administrative savings cover the loss.
3. Can all the schools in my district run under the waiver?
- As long as they are "open sites", meaning 50% of the schools enrollment is qualified for Free or Reduced-Price (FRP) school meals.
- Non-school sites eligibility is determined on the local school’s FRP %.
Questions?
Suzy Harrington, School Nutrition Advocate, California Food Policy Advocates (415) 777-4422 ext. 108
Suzanne du Verrier, Food Service Director , Alisal Unified School District (831) 753-5777