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THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

Office of P-20 Education Policy
Child Nutrition Program Administration
89 Washington Avenue, Room 375 EBA, Albany, NY 12234
Phone: (518) 473-8781 Fax: (518) 473-0018
To: 
School Food Service Directors/Managers
From: 
Frances N. O'Donnell, Coordinator
Date: 
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Subject: 
Child Nutrition Reauthorization 2010: Outreach to Households on the Availability of Summer Food Service Program Meals

Section 112 of The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (the Act), Public Law 111-296, amends section 13(a) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1761(a)) to require that each State agency that administers the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), to the maximum extent practicable, ensures that school food authorities (SFAs) cooperate with SFSP service institutions to inform eligible families of the availability and location of free meals for students when the regular school year ends.

Acceptable activities may include developing or disseminating printed or electronic materials to families of school children prior to the end of the school year, which provide information on the availability and location of SFSP meals. Other activities to promote the availability and location of SFSP meals may be approved by the State agency.

We encourage schools to help promote the availability of meals for children in their area/community during the summer months. An SFA can distribute information to households such as the location of nearby SFSP meal sites, times of service, and SFSP service institution contact information. The SFAs may distribute the information through means normally used to communicate with the households of enrolled children.

The SFSP Outreach Toolkit for Sponsors and Feeding Sites includes fliers, letters to parents, and other materials that may help schools raise program awareness among students and their families. The SFSP Toolkit is available at www.summerfood.usda.gov/library/toolkit.pdf.

This provision of the Act is effective as of October 1, 2010. Ensure that your SFA is prepared to share SFSP outreach activities for the coming summer. 

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and USDA civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the state or local agency that administers the program or contact USDA through the Telecommunications Relay Service at 711 (voice and TTY). Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

  1. Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Mail Stop 9410, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
  2. Fax: (202) 690-7442; or
  3. Email: program.intake@usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

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