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FairData Summer Food
Target Mapper

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) provides nutritious meals to children at sites throughout local communities. One of the easiest ways to qualify as a summer food site is to show that 50 percent or more of the children in the area are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. School data is used most often to document that a site is in a low-income area, but Census data also can be used. Census data is especially useful for qualifying sites in rural areas or where pockets of poverty exist within affluent areas.

Because of technological advances, the new 2000 Census data is now relatively easy to use. FairData, an organization that develops community-based mapping and data solutions for education, environment, housing, and poverty-related issues, developed in association with FRAC a free website that allows you to map an area by entering the address of the proposed site.

The interactive map also allows you to explore other demographics including median income, race, English as a Second Language, and housing costs.

To determine the eligibility of a site for SFSP:

1. Go to the website and click on the arrow icon or go directly to the map by clicking here.
   
2. Click on the FIND button on the top left hand side of the screen.
   
3. Enter the address of the proposed site. Then click "Find" just below the address form in the pop-up window.
   
4. If you need better color clarity, once the map appears, click on the options underneath "Compare Maps" and choose "40_vs_50_Focus".
   
5. If the site is located in an area that has 50 percent or more below 185 percent of the poverty line, then the site should be eligible for SFSP.
   
6. Write down the Census block group number displayed in the table on the bottom of the page or just print out the map and table from your web browser.
   
7. If the address is not found, use the ZOOM tools and PAN tool to locate the site.

Click on the HELP button for additional instructions on how to use the map or open the help page by clicking here.

Prior to using the website, discuss with the state child nutrition agency what kind of documentation it will need to qualify the site for SFSP. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has distributed Census data and guidance on using the Census data to qualify summer food sites to all the state child nutrition agencies. Since the FairData website is not operated by USDA, the Census block group number must be checked against the data distributed to the state agencies by USDA. The state agency is responsible for verifying that a site is eligible based on Census data before approving it as a summer food site. It is important for sponsors to receive state approval for the site prior to the start of its meal service.

The FairData map, as well as a Summer Food internet-based map machine run by the Economic Research Service of USDA, identifies areas that would qualify for summer food. The map shows local schools, parks, religious sites and previous summer food sites. It can also be an important outreach tool for anti-hunger organizations and state child nutrition agencies to identify new summer food sites.

For more information, please contact Randy Rosso at FRAC, (202) 986-2200 x3004 or at rrosso@frac.org.