Seamless Summer Meals Option for Schools

Last summer the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) instituted a Seamless Summer Waiver for School Food Authorities (SFA) that want to use the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) to serve summer meals. Under the Waiver, SFAs can use the same administrative procedures in the summer as they use during the school year.

SFAs that are interested in this arrangement must have the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) submit a waiver request to USDA on their behalf. If approved, PDE reimbursement for summer meals will be the same as under the NSLP, including the additional state reimbursement.  To qualify for the Waiver, schools must open feeding sites to all eligible children in the community. 

Pat Temple-West of the Nutritional Development Services (NDS) in Philadelphia is the SFA for the Archdiocese’s schools. This year for the first time NDS has opted to use the Seamless Summer Waiver to serve children in the summer months. Temple-West notes a greater efficiency in the incorporation of programs and services with the same function. “NDS has, for many years, been advocating that there be a consolidation of the various different federally-funded meals program for children. Combining the two programs will eliminate duplication of review and audit management, reports, budgets, inventories, purchasing, and cash management. It will simplify monitoring, record keeping, computer applications, and accounting. Although NDS will receive less money under the Waiver, the increased efficiencies will enable NDS to spend more time on improving and expanding summer meals for children in low income areas.”

For additional information about the Waiver, contact Eileen Hileman at PDE at 717.787.3186.

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