Program Overview

Summer Food Service Program for South Dakota provides meals to children belonging to low-income household when they are not going to school due to vacations. The program is run in collaboration with private and non-profit organizations which ensure the availability of food at authorized sites. Camps are an exception; they have to get eligibility forms and only those children are reimbursed which meet the eligibility requirements of the benefit program. The program is made available at various locations to eligible families of South Dakota which includes parks, playgrounds, community centers, housing authorities, and daycare centers. Mostly the meals are combined with recreational activities and sports for the children. Children who get free meals during their academic session are usually the one who get eligible for the Summer Food Service Program. The program serves children 18 and younger in communities.

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), is administered by FNS USDA (Food and Nutrition Service, U.S Department of Agriculture), at federal level and on state level, state education agencies, social services, state health, FNS regional offices or approved sponsors (private non-profit organizations, local government agencies or camps and school districts) take part in the administration of this program. Sponsors enter into agreements with State agencies to run the program.

Program Objectives

Summer Food Service Program for South Dakota has been designed to achieve various objectives. The main objective of the program is to provide required nutrition to the children of South Dakota when they are not having state sponsored meals. The food provided under the program includes fruits, vegetables, meat, grains, milk and the food served must meet the quality standards set by the federal nutrition standards. One or two meals can be served for most locations or sites. Meals to select from are breakfast, snack, lunch and supper.

Summer Food Service Program for South Dakota helps to meet these objectives:

• Children in low-income areas have free nutritious meals.
• Children are ready to learn during their fall session after eating nutritious meals during summer vacation.
• Provision of healthy food must decrease the obesity level
• Improving the food quality in low budget
• Through the program, individuals and families are given education on how to include healthy food in their diet.
• Living a healthy and self- sustaining lifestyle subsequently increasing the quality of life of the people in the state.

The Summer Food Service began as a preventive measure taken to ensure the provision of nutritionally balanced diet, to the school children during the summer vacation period. The program has proven as effective tool to provide nutritious food to children belonging to lower income class and to reduce the obesity among them.

Eligibility Requirements

Only eligible households can avail the benefits of the Summer Food Service Program for South Dakota. Healthy meals and snacks are served to eligible children and teens at approved sites in high-need areas, to help them get the nutrition they need to learn, play, and grow, throughout the summer months when they are out of school. At most sites, eligible children get one or two meals each day.  However, camps and sites that primarily serve migrant children are served with up to three meals to each child, each day. The eligibility requirements include:

• Children should be the residents of the state of South Dakota.
• Children of 18 years of age or younger are eligible for Summer Food Service Program.
• Children with disabilities are eligible to apply
• The income level of the household should be within the income limit brackets specifies by the federal and the state government

The number of members in a household and the total household income are also very important factors while considering a candidate for the Summer Food Service Program in the state of South Dakota.

An additional amount will be added per additional person if the size of the household exceeds more than 8 people. Also, it’s important to stay in touch with a proper managing agency in your locality to receive accurate guidelines and future policies related to the Summer Food Service Program for the state of South Dakota.

If you are eligible for the program benefits, and searching Summer Food Service Program sites near you? You can locate the site through summer meal site finder, links and site addresses provided on the official website.

How to Apply

There are multiple ways to apply for the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) for South Dakota.

• Apply through office

After making sure of your eligibility for the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) for South Dakota, the next step is the application process. You can make your application by visiting USDA’s Summer Meal Site Finder to locate an office near you. Here you will be provided with all the necessary information to apply for the SFSP. To find your local agency providing free meals, please visit the Why Hunger homepage.

• Apply via Phone Call 

To apply for the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) for South Dakota, you can call the South Dakota Department of Education at (605) 773-3134.

For Further Information

For further information about the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) for South Dakota, visit the official website by clicking this link. The website has links to all the necessary resources and provides information regarding the program policies and guidelines to applicants to help them get a better understating of the state programs.

It is important to fill the application as accurately and truthfully as possible because false statements can lead you to penalties. Once the application is submitted you cannot change it hence it is advisable to be careful while filling out the application form. Visit Benefits by State for more insights.