Overview

School Nutrition Programs | Program Guidance | Forms | Resources | Nutrition Education

The ASP operates under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). It provides cash reimbursement to help schools serve snacks to children in afterschool activities aimed at promoting the health and well-being of children and youth in Connecticut’s communities. Schools must provide children with regularly scheduled activities in an organized, structured, and supervised environment that includes educational or enrichment activities, e.g., mentoring/tutoring programs. Programs must meet state or local licensing requirements and health and safety standards. Competitive interscholastic sports teams are not eligible. For more information, review the CSDE’s ASP Handbook.

Note: The ASP meal pattern requirements for grades K-12 are different from the ASP meal pattern requirements for preschoolers. The ASP preschool meal pattern is the same as the CACFP snack meal pattern for ages 3-5, and has stricter requirements.  The CSDE's document, Comparison of Meal Pattern Requirements for Preschoolers and Grades K-12 in the Afterschool Snack Program of the NSLP, contains a summary of the ASP meal patterns for each grade group.

Meal Patterns for the ASP  |   Menu Planning Guidance for the ASP  |   Quick Links

Meal Patterns for the ASP

• ASP Meal Pattern for Grades K-12
  • ASP Meal Pattern for Grades K-12 (CSDE)
  • Grains/Breads Servings for Grades K-12 in the ASP (CSDE)
  • Overview of the ASP Meal Pattern Requirements for Grades K-12 (CSDE)
• ASP Meal Pattern for Preschoolers 
  • ASP Meal Pattern for Preschoolers (Ages 1-4) (CSDE)
  • Grain Servings for Preschoolers in the NSLP and SBP: Through September 30, 2021 (CSDE)
  • Grain Ounce Equivalents for Preschoolers in the NSLP and SBP: Effective October 1, 2021 (CSDE)
  • Overview of the ASP Meal Pattern Requirements for Preschoolers (CSDE)
  • For detailed guidance on the preschool meal patterns, review the CSDE's guide, Menu Planning Guide for Preschoolers in the NSLP and SBP, and visit the CSDE's Meal Patterns for Preschoolers in School Nutrition Programs webpage.

Menu Planning Guidance for the ASP

• Comparison Charts (Document/Forms section)
• Crediting Foods for Grades K-12 in the ASP (Document/Forms section)
• Crediting Foods for Preschoolers in the ASP (Document/Forms section)
• CSDE Guides for the ASP
  • Afterschool Snack Program Handbook (CSDE)
  • Menu Planning Guide for Preschoolers in the NSLP and SBP (CSDE)
• Forms for the ASP (Document/Forms section)
• Menu Planning for the ASP (Document/Forms section)
• Monitoring in the ASP (Document/Forms section)

Quick Links

• Claim Submission Schedule for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• Direct Certification for School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• Eligibility for Free and Reduced-price Meals and Milk (CSDE)
• Online Application and Claiming System for Connecticut Child Nutrition Programs  (CSDE)
  • Procedures, User IDs, Passwords and Access for School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• Operational Memoranda for School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)

 

Nondiscrimination Statements (USDA and CSDE)