National School Lunch Program


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Afterschool Snacks in the National = School=20 Lunch Program
Snack Payments to States = and=20 School Food Authorities

1) What are "Afterschool=20 Snacks"?

The National School Lunch Program = (NSLP) now=20 offers cash reimbursement to help schools = serve=20 snacks to children after their regular = school day=20 ends. Afterschool snacks give children a=20 nutritional boost and draw them into = supervised=20 activities that are safe, fun and filled = with=20 learning opportunities.

2) How can children benefit from the = snack=20 service?

Afterschool snacks help ensure that = children=20 receive the nutrition they need to learn, = play and=20 grow. Organized, structured, and = supervised=20 programs that provide snacks allow = children to=20 think and behave better, and help them = make the=20 grade!

3) Is my afterschool care program=20 eligible?

In order for a site to participate, = your school=20 district must run the NSLP and sponsor or = operate=20 the afterschool care program. Additionally = the=20 school district must sponsor or operate an = afterschool care program which provides = children=20 with regularly scheduled educational or = enrichment=20 activities in a supervised environment. = Contact=20 your State education agency for further=20 information regarding program = eligibility.

4) What type of snacks must be served = in my=20 program?

In order to be reimbursed, the snacks = must=20 contain at least two different = components of=20 the following four: a serving of fluid = milk; a=20 serving of meat or meat alternate; a = serving of=20 vegetable(s) or fruit(s) or full strength=20 vegetable or fruit juice; a serving of = whole grain=20 or enriched bread or cereal.

5) How much money will my school get = for=20 serving snacks?

Snacks served in afterschool care = programs that=20 are "area eligible" (see Question 6) will = be=20 reimbursed at the free rate, regardless of = an=20 individual student=92s eli= gibility=20 for free or reduced price lunches. = Snacks=20 served in afterschool care programs that = are not=20 area eligible will be reimbursed at the = free,=20 reduced price and paid rate depending on = each=20 individual=92s eligibility for free or = reduced price=20 meals. These rates=20 are based on the National Average=20 Payments (NAP), which are = adjusted=20 annually.

6) How is "area eligible" = defined?

An afterschool care program site is = "area=20 eligible" if it is located at a school or = in the=20 attendance area of a school where at least = 50=20 percent of the enrolled children are = eligible for=20 free or reduced price meals. For example, = if a=20 high school with less than 50 percent free = or=20 reduced price school enrollment is located = in the=20 attendance area of a middle school that = has 50=20 percent or more of the enrolled children = eligible=20 for free or reduced price meals, then the=20 afterschool care program located in the = high=20 school would be area eligible.

7) If my site is not area eligible, = must I take=20 applications for individual students to = determine=20 whether they are eligible for free or = reduced=20 price benefits?

Since your school district is already=20 participating in the NSLP, it will have = free and=20 reduced price applications on file. The=20 eligibility determinations for those = applications=20 would apply for both the lunch and snack = service=20 under the NSLP. If an approved free or = reduced=20 price application is not on file, the = school=20 district will earn the paid rate of = reimbursement=20 for snacks served to that student unless = the=20 student makes application and is approved = for free=20 or reduced price benefits.

8) How do I apply for afterschool=20 snacks?

Contact the school food service = director in=20 your school district. You may also want to = contact=20 your State education agency for more = information.=20 State agency contacts are listed in our = website at=20 http://w= ww.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Contacts/StateDirectory.htm

9) When do the reimbursements = begin?

As soon as the State agency approves = your=20 application, reimbursement will be earned = for=20 snacks served. Reimbursement will be = provided to=20 participating programs who serve = afterschool=20 snacks to children and youth through the = age of=20 18.

10) What records must be = maintained?

Your school food service staff will = provide you=20 with specific information on the reporting = and=20 recordkeeping requirements. You will need = to=20 maintain a roster or sign-in sheet for=20 participating children. Additionally, if = you are=20 area eligible, you must record and report = the=20 total number of snacks you serve each day. = If you=20 are not area eligible, you must record and = report=20 the number of snacks served each day by = category=20 of reimbursement (i.e., whether they are = served=20 free, at a reduced price or paid). You = will also=20 be required to maintain documentation of=20 compliance with the meal pattern.

11) If I am not eligible under NSLP, = what can I=20 do?

If you are not eligible under the = requirements=20 for the NSLP, you may still qualify for = snack=20 reimbursement under the Child and Adult = Care Food=20 Program. To find out, contact your State=20 agency.

12) Who administers the = program?

The NSLP is administered on the Federal = level=20 by the Food and Nutrition Service, an = agency of=20 the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Within = individual States, the program is = administered by=20 a State agency, in most cases through = offices in=20 the State Department of Education. At the = local=20 level, the program is administered by the=20 school/school district.

Last modified: = 02/21/2012
=20 =

	National=20 School Lunch
	Afterscho= ol=20 Snacks
	Fresh=20 Fruit & Vegetable
	Seamless=20 Summer
	School=20 Breakfast
	Special=20 Milk=20 = Program

	Team=20 Nutrition
	Summer Food=20 Service = Program
	Child and=20 Adult Care Food=20 = Program


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Afterschool Snacks in the National = School=20 Lunch ProgramSnack Payments to States = and=20 School Food Authorities

Afterschool Snacks in the National = School=20 Lunch Program
Snack Payments to States = and=20 School Food Authorities