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FY24 SFSP Waiver Submission Survey

Organization Information

IMPORTANT!
The Summer 2024 Waiver Submission Survey (WSS) is required for sponsors intending to provide non-congregate meal service in SFSP during summer 2024 (June 2024-September 2024) due to Heat, Air or Safety/Security concerns. Your intended waiver submission is not considered complete until this survey has been completed and submitted.
Please note, survey submission does not indicate waiver approval. Written approval from CNS is required to utilize any State waiver.

Program operators should fill out the WSS based on planned meal distribution methods. We understand meal service models may change during the summer. 

Program operators must re-submit their WSS as their meal distribution models are updated.


Additional guidance regarding non-congregate feeding in SFSP/SSO may be found on the USDA FNS Webpage. 

*NOTE: When opening hyperlinks please right click and choose the "Open in New Tab" option.
Contact Information
Please input the best person to contact regarding your Waiver Submission Survey. *This question is required.
This question requires a valid email address.
Select your organization type: *This question is required.
1. Which summer program are you operating in 2024? *This question is required.
Please provide information on the non-congregate sites you intend to operate. *This question is required.
What type of non-congregate sites do you plan on operating?

Please check all that apply. *This question is required.
2. Please indicate the reasoning for non-congregate meal service at the sites you intend to operate.  *This question is required.
3. Please provide the start and end dates you are requesting to provide non-congregate meals 
For the Heat Advisory Waiver, this can be requested only during a real-time heat advisory event for up to 10 days. Please read the requirements below: 
  1. Non-congregate meal service may be offered only on days when the National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Heat Advisory, an Excessive Heat Warning, or an Excessive Heat Watch for the area in which an approved outdoor meal site is located. 
  2. May only be used when high temperatures could not reasonably be planned for and may not be used to respond to high temperatures that are typical of the area in which the site is located. 
  3. Approved outdoor sites must comply with congregate meal service requirements on all other days of operation. 
  4. Outdoor sites with an available temperature-controlled alternative site may not use this waiver and should serve meals at the temperature-controlled alternative site if the area is experiencing excessive heat. 
 
  1. Sponsors must submit waiver request within 24 hours of the event.  Please upload documentation from the National Weather Service for each site you are requesting the waiver approval. The approval will be issued by OSPI CNS for the use of this waiver.
For the Air Quality Waiver, this can be requested only during a real-time air quality advisory event for up to 10 days. Please read the requirements below: 
 
  1. Non-congregate meal service may be offered at outdoor meal sites, with no alternative indoor site, on days when the area is experiencing certain air quality advisories. The threshold for determining when non-congregate meal service is allowed will be based on metrics developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Using these metrics, sites may be approved for non-congregate meal service on days when the site's zip code has an Air Quality Index (AQI) "purple" flag or higher, as indicated at https://www.airnow.gov/. 
  2. For days when air quality is a concern, but the purple flag threshold is not met, FNS recommends sponsors with outdoor sites consider the outdoor activity guidance developed by the EPA and the CDC. 
  3. Outdoor sites with alternative indoor locations will not be permitted to serve non-congregate meals. 
 
  1. Sponsors must submit a waiver request within 24 hours of providing non-congregate meals. Please upload required documentation from the EPA or CDC to support their request for each site. The approval will be issued by OSPI CNS for the use of this waiver.
For the Safety and Security Waiver, this can only be requested during a real-time physical safety and security event for up to 7 days.  Please see the following requirements: 

1. Waivers requests should include documentation of the incident or threat to physical safety at the specific site(s).   Documentation may include

       A. Site staff directly witnessing and documenting the event
        B. Documentation of an event by a responsible law enforcement agency of the jurisdiction in which the site exists.

2.  What is the likelihood of the incident repeating? 

3. If applicable, what additional justification is there for necessity of the waiver?


Approval of any such waivers would be very limited in scope and timeframe, and conditional upon circumstances such as a violent crime occurring within close proximity of a site, determination of unsafe or contaminated water at a site, or other extreme and specific conditions or incidents that would severely jeopardize the safety of program participants at a particular site.

Waivers should be requested for specific meal sites; blanket waiver requests for entire counties, communities, or neighborhoods will not be considered.

Approval for use of this waiver will be given by the USDA FNS, not OSPI. Sponsors incur the risk of continuing to provide meals without receiving approval of the waiver. Waiver submissions will take 1-2 weeks to be sent, reviewed, and approved/denied by FNS. Waivers are likely to be approved for no more than 7 days. If the safety issue persists past that period, FNS may consider granting extensions on a case-by-case basis.
 
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