Summer Food Service Program Overview

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) enables sponsors to choose between two methods for administering the program and submitting claims.

Traditional Summer Food Service Program

Sponsors and sites that choose to participate in the traditional Summer Food Service Program use the same processes and procedures as in previous years. Applications for participation and claims for reimbursement continue to be submitted on paper forms. The traditional Summer Food Service Program allows sponsors to claim administrative costs.

Seamless Waiver

The seamless waiver enables program participants and Arizona Department of Education (ADE) staff to administer SFSP through the National School Lunch Program portion of the Child Nutrition system. Applications for participation and claims for reimbursement are submitted over the Internet. Automating administration reduces paperwork, increases accuracy, and speeds up payments.

Seamless waiver participants can use the National School Lunch Program portion of the Child Nutrition system to:

Apply to participate or re-enroll in the SFSP Seamless Waiver.
Submit and revise claims (meal counts and administrative costs) for reimbursement.

The seamless waiver Summer Food Service Program does not reimburse sponsors for administrative costs.

ADE staff can use the Child Nutrition system to:

Approve or deny seamless waiver program applications (submitted through the NSLP).
Administer holds or suspensions.
Process claims and revisions.
Complete accounting functions.
Post payments and submit upload files to the State Treasury for disbursement to participants.