As a Summer EATS/Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sponsor, Food 4 Kids is reimbursed a fixed amount by the USDA for each meal we served. (Meals served as seconds and any meals left over each day are not reimbursed.) The Massachusetts Department of Early and Secondary Education (DESE) oversees overall management of the SFSP program in the state, including disbursement of USDA funds monthly. We submit total meal counts for each site each month and are reimbursed accordingly.
USDA reimbursement rates are adjusted annually. Historically this reimbursement has covered about 60-70% of our total expenses, depending on whether the USDA adjusts rates to match inflation, especially the rise in wages and food.
We also provide some meals outside the official Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) parameters. The SFSP reimburses only 2 meals at each site/day. Yet we have several all-day partners filling a critical childcare need. We provide a third meal, an afternoon snack, which is not reimbursed. We also have some sites that do not meet the strict “poverty qualification” standards set by the USDA, although we know the children being served (and their families) would benefit greatly from a free lunch. These meals are not reimbursed either.
We estimate the portion of our summer 2023 budget that will not be funded by the USDA reimbursement to be about $64,325. We rely on grants from the state, Cape Cod funding agencies, town human services, local businesses and associations, and faith-based organizations, as well as individual donations to help us bridge the gap.