The Summer BreakSpot program is the federal USDA Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) in Florida. Many existing SFSP sites and sponsors are well positioned to offer afterschool meals during the school year through the AMP. Both organizations and communities benefit when meals are offered to children in low-income communities year-round. Organizations benefit from having the ability to hire year-round staff, a continuous flow of reimbursements providing additional financial stability, and recognition in the community as a stable source of services. After the issuance of a May 31, 2013 USDA Policy Memo (CACFP 12-2013, SFSP 14-2013), the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Child Care Food Programs (DOH CCFP) implemented streamlined AMP application, training, and monitoring processes for eligible SFSP sponsors. The following are some provisions you should be aware of when you are applying to and planning to provide the AMP.

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APPLICATION

 

• In order to be eligible for the streamlined processes, an organization must be a current SFSP sponsor (not a site) and must not be seriously deficient in its operation of the SFSP.
  
  The application for eligible SFSP sponsors requires about 35% less documentation to be submitted than the application of a standard AMP applicant.
   

• Part of this streamlining was achieved by working with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, Food, Nutrition and Wellness Division (FL-DACS) to obtain certain information (and/or to verify information through other state databases when possible) rather than making the sponsor resubmit the same information to DOH. Some examples of this are the sponsor's documentation of:

  • Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN)

  • Federal 501(c)(3) tax-exemption

  • DUNS #

  • W-9

  • MyFloridaMarketPlace (MFMP) registration
     

• Additionally, DOH has agreed to accept a successful financial viability determination from the SFSP when the determination was made in the past 12 months of AMP application and was completed by a CPA under contract with DACS
   

• The remainder of the application streamlining is outlined by the USDA memo. Some examples of waived items that SFSP sponsors do not have to provide are:

  • ​Sample menus, practice meal counts, and practice attendance records

  • Documentation of a site's school zone (although DOH will verify this information through school district information to ensure the site is eligible)

  • Documentation of pre-approval visits (although these must be kept in the sponsor's records for any sites not already on the SFSP)

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TRAINING

 

• Training has been streamlined so that it focuses on information that is different from the SFSP, is less time consuming, and easy to take at any time.
   

• Sponsors are provided with online modules to help understand the application materials, as well as train them on the program's administrative requirements.
   

• • See the Florida Department of Health website for training materials.

  • Sponsors must still contact DOH to start the application process.
     

• Furthermore, food service staff who received meal service training under the SFSP are not required to take such training again for the AMP.

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MONITORING

 

• DOH has waived the requirement to conduct AMP pre-approval visits for sites already on the SFSP, as allowed per the USDA memo
   

• Sponsors that operate SFSP and AMP meal services are not required to monitor their sites following the SFSP requirements and then monitor those same sites again following the AMP requirements during the school year. Instead, such sponsors may follow the AMP monitoring schedule year-round.
   

• If sponsors choose to follow the AMP monitoring schedule year-round, one of the three annual reviews must occur during the summer, review for SFSP requirements, include the review of a meal service, and be unannounced; two reviews must occur during the school year, review for AMP requirements, at least one must include the review of a meal service, and at least one must be unannounced.