Early Childhood Education and Care Department to administer the Summer Food Service Program in 2025

CONTACT

Julia Sclafani
Public Relations Specialist

Email: julia.sclafani@ececd.nm.gov
Mobile: (505) 699–5937
1120 Paseo De Peralta
Santa Fe, NM 87501

SANTA FE – The New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) will continue administering the Summer Food Service Program in New Mexico in 2025—bridging the gap in children’s nutrition during the summer break and other school closures. 

Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is a federally funded program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) administered in New Mexico by ECECD Early Care, Education, and Nutrition division’s Family Nutrition Bureau. The primary purpose of SFSP is to provide free meals through eligible sponsoring organizations to children in low-income areas in the summer months when most schools are closed. 

All children ages 1-18 are eligible—no registration or enrollment is necessary. A person over 18 years of age who has a mental or physical disability and participates during the school year in a public or private, nonprofit school program may also be eligible to participate in SFSP.

Organizations eligible for meal site sponsorship are: public or private, nonprofit school food authorities; public or private, nonprofit residential camps; units of local, municipal, county, Tribal, state and federal governments; National Youth Sports Program sites; and private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations. 

SFSP-sponsored organizations may provide site-based, in-person meal service and/or alternate, non-congregate meal services for rural communities that qualify. Non-congregate meal service refers to to-go meals for children distributed by sites designated as “rural” without an in-person option.

To find a meal site near you, visit summerfoodnm.org or call 1-800-EAT-COOL (1-800-328-2665).

Organizations interested in administering and operating SFSP meal services in their community should contact the Family Nutrition Bureau at 505-231-4703 or by using the contact form at summerfoodnm.org. 

USDA Non-Discrimination Statement and Complaint Information

In accordance with federal civil rights law and USDA civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the agency (state or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) at usda.gov/oascr/filing-program-discrimination-complaint-usda-customer and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA that includes all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call 866-632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture

    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

    1400 Independence Avenue, SW

    Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

(2) fax: 202-690-7442; or

(3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

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Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham launched the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) in 2020, making New Mexico among the first states to consolidate all early childhood programs and services under a single cabinet-level agency. Under this administration, ECECD has led the nation by expanding access to free New Mexico PreK, overseeing the largest investment in early childhood infrastructure in state history, and implementing cost-free child care for a majority of New Mexico families. Learn more about how ECECD supports children, families, and the early childhood professionals that serve our communities at nmececd.org, or find us Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram as @NewMexicoECECD.

SANTA FE – The New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) will continue administering the Summer Food Service Program in New Mexico in 2025—bridging the gap in children’s nutrition during the summer break and other school closures. 

Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is a federally funded program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) administered in New Mexico by ECECD Early Care, Education, and Nutrition division’s Family Nutrition Bureau. The primary purpose of SFSP is to provide free meals through eligible sponsoring organizations to children in low-income areas in the summer months when most schools are closed. 

All children ages 1-18 are eligible—no registration or enrollment is necessary. A person over 18 years of age who has a mental or physical disability and participates during the school year in a public or private, nonprofit school program may also be eligible to participate in SFSP.

Organizations eligible for meal site sponsorship are: public or private, nonprofit school food authorities; public or private, nonprofit residential camps; units of local, municipal, county, Tribal, state and federal governments; National Youth Sports Program sites; and private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations. 

SFSP-sponsored organizations may provide site-based, in-person meal service and/or alternate, non-congregate meal services for rural communities that qualify. Non-congregate meal service refers to to-go meals for children distributed by sites designated as “rural” without an in-person option.

To find a meal site near you, visit summerfoodnm.org or call 1-800-EAT-COOL (1-800-328-2665).

Organizations interested in administering and operating SFSP meal services in their community should contact the Family Nutrition Bureau at 505-231-4703 or by using the contact form at summerfoodnm.org. 

Aviso de no discriminación e información para la presentación de quejas del USDA

Conforme a la legislación federal en materia de derechos civiles y la normatividad y las políticas del USDA, el USDA, sus agencias, oficinas y empleados, y las instituciones que participan en los programas del USDA o los administran, tienen prohibido discriminar por motivos de raza, color, nacionalidad, sexo, identidad de género, orientación sexual, condición de discapacidad, edad, o tomar represalias por actividades previas en materia de derechos civiles en cualquier programa o actividad realizada o financiada por el USDA. Las personas con discapacidad que requieran medios de comunicación alternativos para obtener información sobre el programa (por ejemplo, Braille, letra grande, cintas de audio, lengua de signos estadounidense, etc.) deben comunicarse con la agencia (estatal o local) en la que presentaron su solicitud de beneficios. Las personas con sordera, dificultades para escuchar o trastornos del lenguaje pueden comunicarse con el USDA a través del Federal Relay Service (Servicio de Retransmisión Federal) llamando al 800-877-8339. Además, es posible que la información del programa se encuentre disponible en idiomas distintos del inglés.

Para presentar una queja ante el programa por discriminación, llene el formulario USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (AD-3027) que se encuentra en el sitio web usda.gov/oascr/filing-program-discrimination-complaint-usda-customer y en cualquier oficina del USDA, o envíe una carta a la atención del USDA donde incluya toda la información que se solicita en el formulario. Llame al 866-632-9992 para solicitar una copia del formulario de queja. Envíe el formulario llenado o la carta al USDA por cualquiera de los siguientes medios:

(1) Correo postal: U.S. Department of Agriculture

   Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

   1400 Independence Avenue, SW

   Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

(2) Fax: 202-690-7442; o

(3) Correo electrónico: program.intake@usda.gov.

Esta institución es un empleador que favorece la igualdad de oportunidades.

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Educación y Cuidado de la Primera Infancia de Nuevo México (ECECD, por sus siglas en inglés) en 2020, lo que convirtió a Nuevo México en uno de los primeros estados en consolidar todos los programas y servicios de primera infancia bajo una sola agencia a nivel de gabinete. Bajo esta administración, el ECECD ha liderado la nación al expandir el acceso al PreK gratuito de Nuevo México, supervisar la mayor inversión en infraestructura para la primera infancia en la historia del estado e implementar cuidado infantil gratuito para la mayoría de las familias de Nuevo México. Obtenga más información sobre cómo el ECECD apoya a los niños, las familias y los profesionales de la primera infancia que prestan servicios a nuestras comunidades en nmececd.org, o encuéntrenos en Facebook, LinkedIn e Instagram como @NewMexicoECECD.