State CN Agencies (Directors and Key Staff), SFSP Sponsors (Directors and Key Staff), and SFSP Sites (Supervisors) - SLT

APPENDIX B-12. E-LETTER TO SPONSORS WITH REQUEST TO SCHEDULE PHONE INTERVIEW

OMB Control Number: 0584-XXXX

Expiration Date: XX/XX/20XX

Dear [SFSP Sponsor],

I am following up on the email you recently received from your State Child Nutrition agency requesting your participation in an important research study, the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Integrity Study. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) hired Westat, an independent research organization, to conduct the study.

We seek to interview 48 SFSP sponsors, including yourself, to better understand how the SFSP operates on the ground. The telephone interview takes 1 hour and includes questions about the training you provide to your meal service sites, the records you collect from sites, and the support and guidance you receive from the State agency. The interviews are not part of an audit or review and no one from FNS or the State agency will participate in the call.

Next Steps

To facilitate scheduling, please review the list of suggested dates and times below and indicate all time slots when you would be available for a 1-hour telephone interview.

	DATES
9:00 AM -10:00 AM <local time zone>
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM <local time zone>

You may invite another key staff person from your organization to join the interview if you wish.

As you may know, the law governing the child nutrition programs requires organizations participating in the programs to cooperate in studies like this one. However, your individual participation in this study is voluntary. Any information you provide will be kept private, and the written notes from the interview will be stripped of information that could be used to identify you.

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is conducting this study to obtain information about the administration and oversight of the Summer Food Service Program and to identify potential barriers to ensuring the integrity and effective management of the program. Participation in this study is voluntary and the information collected will be used to determine resources, develop training, and provide technical assistance. Under the Privacy Act of 1974 and the System of Record Notice FNS-8 USDA/FNS Studies and Reports, any personally identifying information obtained will be kept private to the extent provided by law. According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-XXXX. The time required to provide this information collection is estimated to average 5 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather and maintain the data needed, and complete and review the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, VA 22302 ATTN: PRA (0584-xxxx).

We are grateful for your cooperation and look forward to speaking with you soon. If you have any questions about the SFSP Integrity Study, please contact the Westat Study Team at: [study email] or [study phone number]. We have attached a fact sheet with additional information about the study.

Sincerely,

[SIGNATURE]

Attachment: FAQ for States and SFSP Sponsors

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