Updated October 2004

California's New Year Round SFSP Pilot

On June 30, 2004, President Bush signed the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 into law (Public Law 108-265). One important provision of the Act creates a year-round pilot for private non-profits organizations and local government agencies, excluding schools, in California. (Schools can feed children year-round through a single nutrition program under the Seamless Summer Option.)

Background

Prior to the pilot, a community organization or a local government agency in California that wanted to serve children year-round participated in the Summer Food Service Program during the summer months or when year-round schools have extended breaks, and provided snacks through the Child and Adult Care Food Program after school, on weekends, and during school holidays. Each program has a different application process; different paperwork, monitoring, and eligibility requirements; and different reimbursement structures and rates.

Pilot Basics

The pilot allows private non-profits organizations and local government agencies, excluding schools, to feed children 365 days a year through a single child nutrition program, the Summer Food Service Program. This minimizes paperwork and monitoring requirements without impacting program integrity.

• During the school year, sponsors can provide snacks after school, on weekends, and during school holidays. During the summer or when year-round schools have extended breaks, sponsors can provide up to two meals each day. Migrant sites and camps can provide a third meal.
  
  
• The pilot operates primarily under the rules of the Summer Food Service Program, which means that sponsors receive the slightly higher Summer Food reimbursement rate and sites can qualify using school data as well as census tract data. Sites qualify if 50 percent or more of the children in the area are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals.
  
  
• California is required to evaluate the pilot's impact on participation and submit a report to the United States Department of Agriculture by September 2007.
  
  
• The pilot is in effect fiscal years 2005 through 2009.
  
  
• Click here for a USDA memo about this provision.

Prepared by the Food Research & Action Center, 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20009; 202-986-2200; www.frac.org

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