Serve No-Cost Meals to Youth

Apply to serve afterschool meals during the 2023-2024 school year!

Do you facilitate an afterschool program for youth? Do you need help providing food? Minneapolis Public Schools Culinary & Wellness Services is committed to expanding access to quality food for youth throughout our community - in and out of our schools. We partner with public, private nonprofit or for-profit organizations – large and small - to provide nutritious meals that support the long-term health of all youth - physically, mentally, and academically. With the help of the USDA and partnering community organizations, MPS CWS sponsored almost One Million no-cost meals via the 2019 Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the 2018-2019 Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Providing no-cost meals through the At-Risk Child And Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) helps youth get the nutritious meals they need and helps our community partners to focus their resources back into their programs, paying competitive wages to community-based youth workers and deepening their bonds with the youth that they serve.

Complete the 2023-2024 CACFP Application & Agreement today to partner with Minneapolis Public Schools to provide no cost meals to youth in your program.

To be eligible, the Afterschool Food program in your public, private nonprofit, or for-profit organization must:

• Be located in an eligible attendance area of a public school (an elementary, middle or high school) where at least 50 percent of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program. (Check eligibility map here; Choose “NSLP Snack or CACFP At-Risk Snack/Meals” and put in your programs address in the upper right search bar)
• The location must be equipped to provide a safe congregate dining experience for youth. Food is not permitted to be taken off-site.

If your organization meets these requirements, your next step is to complete the 2023-2024 Afterschool Food (At-Risk CACFP) Application & Agreement. We are happy to work with partners of any size. Afterschool Food menus begin Tuesday, September 6th, 2023, so complete the application as soon as possible.

Please read the information included in the Application & Agreement. In the past we have sent the agreement out as a separate document. This year, the application will also serve as the agreement for the 2023-2024 Afterschool Food  Program that must be presented to the Minnesota Department of Education for approval of Afterschool Food distribution at your site.

Planning for the 2023 -2024 Afterschool Food Program Session

Congress has not extended the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) authority to issue nationwide waivers, so we are returning to pre-pandemic Afterschool Food Program (CACFP) operations. This means that sites eligible for CACFP based on a COVID-19 area eligible waiver will no longer be eligible to participate in CACFP. MPS offers Smart Snacks for purchase at sites that will no longer qualify for the CACFP due to returning area-eligibility requirements. Here is the Smart Snack order information.

Important for ALL SITES

• All sites will need to meet regular eligibility requirements.
• All meals need to be eaten on-site in a congregate setting, under program staff supervision.
• Meals cannot be served before 2pm on MPS instruction days.
• There must be a minimum of one hour between meal service type 1 end time and meal service type 2 start time.
• Meals distributed off-site (grab and go, home delivered, etc.) will not be reimbursed by the USDA and may be charged to the community site for non-compliance.
• Sponsors must complete required in-person site monitoring visits (virtual visits will no longer be allowed). Please visit CACFP Monitoring Webpage for more information.
• MDE will be conducting onsite administrative reviews of sponsors and sites.

These changes will be covered in the annual training.

Please email Hashep Seka, Community Site Supervisor, with any questions. Current partners can visit the Community Site Resources webpage for materials to support their food program.