Summer Food Service Program / SUN Meals · Tennessee
Tennessee SFSP and SUN Meals — State Agency, Sponsor Requirements, and Summer Meal Rules
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), branded federally as SUN Meals, provides free meals to children age 18 and under when school is out for the summer. In Tennessee, SFSP is administered by Tennessee Department of Human Services, Community Services. Below is the state agency contact, how to apply as a sponsor or site, and the federal meal pattern rules that apply at every Tennessee summer meal site.
Tennessee SFSP State Agency
- Agency
- Tennessee Department of Human Services
- Division
- Community Services
- Phone
- (615) 313-4749
- Official SFSP page
- https://www.tn.gov/humanservices/for-families/summer-food-service-program-sfsp.html
- FNS Region
- Southeast Regional Office — USDA FNS Southeast
Who Can Sponsor SFSP in Tennessee
The following organizations may apply to TDHS to become an SFSP sponsor in Tennessee:
- Public or private nonprofit school food authorities running summer meals at Tennessee school sites.
- Units of local, municipal, county, or tribal government including parks, recreation departments, and libraries.
- Private nonprofit organizations, including faith-based and community-based groups, meeting SFSP financial and administrative standards.
- Residential and non-residential summer camps serving children from areas with at least 50% free and reduced-price eligibility.
- Public or private nonprofit universities and colleges running upward bound or similar programs.
Site Eligibility for Tennessee Summer Meal Sites
Most SFSP sites in Tennessee qualify as open sites in areas where at least 50% of children qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. Tennessee sponsors can also operate:
- Closed enrolled sites serving a defined group of enrolled children when at least half of them would qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
- Migrant sites primarily serving children of migrant workers.
- Camp sites that claim only the children from eligible households attending.
- Non-congregate rural sites allowed under permanent USDA rule for Tennessee communities that meet the rural non-congregate designation under 7 CFR 225.6.
How to Apply as a Tennessee SFSP Sponsor
- Contact TDHS early — most states, including Tennessee, begin sponsor outreach and training in late winter for the following summer.
- Complete the required sponsor training offered by TDHS. SFSP sponsor training covers meal patterns, recordkeeping, civil rights, and financial management.
- Submit the sponsor application, management plan, and budget to TDHS through the state agency's portal.
- Identify Tennessee site locations and document their eligibility (open, closed enrolled, camp, migrant, or rural non-congregate).
- Receive state agency approval and enter into a Permanent Agreement. Begin serving meals once the agreement and site approvals are in place.
SFSP Meal Pattern for Tennessee Summer Meal Sites
Unlike CACFP, SFSP uses a single meal pattern for all children ages 1 through 18 (7 CFR 225.16). Sites in Tennessee must include the following components per meal:
| Meal | Required components |
|---|---|
| Breakfast | 1 cup milk · 1/2 cup vegetable, fruit, or full-strength juice · 1 serving of grains or bread · optional meat/meat alternate |
| Lunch or Supper | 1 cup milk · 2 oz meat/meat alternate · 3/4 cup combined vegetables and fruits from two or more sources · 1 serving of grains or bread |
| Snack (2 of 4) | Choose 2 of: 1 cup milk, 1 oz meat/meat alternate, 3/4 cup vegetable/fruit/juice, 1 serving grains or bread |
Source: 7 CFR 225.16 and USDA FNS SFSP meal pattern chart. Sponsors in Tennessee may also serve meals that meet the NSLP or CACFP patterns at their option.
Need year-round meals in Tennessee?
SFSP only runs while school is out. For year-round child care, Head Start, afterschool, and adult day care meals in Tennessee, see the Tennessee CACFP state page.
Plan audit-ready SFSP menus for your Tennessee summer sites
CrEATe lets you build SFSP-compliant summer meal menus in minutes, validate meal pattern requirements, and export production records and daily meal counts ready for your Tennessee state agency review.