|
OSPI CNS will be paying additional funds to Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) sponsors as “State Summer Match” dollars to utilize unspent state fund balances.
The calculation used is the number of SFSP/SSO Lunch meals reported in the June claim, multiplied by .036 cents. This is a final use of state fund balances.
We will pay these funds out through apportionment at the end of August and will be listed on the apportionment statement under fund code 4198-05. Future revisions to the June claim month will not be eligible for additional money.
Thank you for all you do for the children in our state.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released 4 extensions of the nationwide waivers listed below.
-
COVID-19: Child Nutrition Response #44 - Nationwide Waiver to Allow Non-Congregate Feeding in the Summer Food Service Program – EXTENSION 3
- This waiver applies to the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).
-
Extension 2, which allows non-congregate feeding in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) for the duration of SY 2020-21, applies to the Seamless Summer Option (SSO).
- This extended waiver allows meals to be served in a non-congregate meal setting.
- This waiver extends through September 30, 2020, or for the duration of summer operations, whichever is earlier.
- Washington State will participate in this waiver.
- COVID-19: Child Nutrition Response #45 - Nationwide Waiver to Allow Meal Pattern Flexibility in the Child Nutrition Programs – EXTENSION 6
- This waiver applies to the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).
-
Extension 4, which allows Meal Pattern Flexibilities in the NSLP for the duration of SY 2020-21, applies to the Seamless Summer Option (SSO).
- This waiver allows sponsors to serve meals that do not meet the meal pattern requirements.
- Sponsors are approved on a case-by-case basis. If your organization is unable to locate a particular item, contact your program specialist.
- This waiver extends through September 30, 2020, or for the duration of summer operations, whichever is earlier.
- Washington State will participate in this waiver.
- As a reminder, Federal procurement regulations at 2 CFR 200.320(f) allow procurement by noncompetitive proposals when there is a public emergency.
- COVID-19: Child Nutrition Response #46 - Nationwide Waiver to Extend Area Eligibility Waivers - EXTENSION
- This waiver applies to the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).
- This waiver allows SFSP and SSO sponsors in good standing to operate open sites in areas consistent with the State plan, but not located in “Areas in which poor economic conditions exist”.
- This waiver extends through September 30, 2020, or for the duration of summer operations, whichever is earlier.
- FNS reserves the right to withdraw this approval subject to availability of funding
- Washington State will participate in this waiver.
- COVID-19: Child Nutrition Response #47 - Nationwide Waiver to Allow Parents and Guardians to Pick Up Meals for Children – EXTENSION 3
- This waiver applies to the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).
- This waiver allows parents and guardians to pick up meals for their children.
- Program operators must maintain program integrity and ensure duplicate meals are not distributed.
- This waiver extends through September 30, 2020, or for the duration of summer operations, whichever is earlier.
- Washington State will participate in this waiver.
Please note that SFSP and SSO are unable to be operated once the Local Education Agency (LEA) in your community resumes school, in-person or remotely. Meals served during the school year must be claimed under the School Meal Programs and/or the Child & Adult Care Food Program. Additionally, the USDA has provided guidance that “planned full or partial building closures are not considered unanticipated school closures for SY 2020-21.”
Questions? Email summermeals@k12.wa.us or call 360-725-6200.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released SP 24, CACFP 13, SFSP 13-2020: Questions and Answers for the Child Nutrition Programs during School Year 2020-21 - #5.
This policy memo reviews common questions and answers regarding school reopening, meal patterns, potable water, Child Care and Afterschool requirements.
For more details, please review the full policy memo.
Have questions? Please contact your assigned OSPI program specialist.
The start of the school year is quickly approaching, which means the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) will be concluding. As a reminder, the SFSP may be operated when schools close for the summer, May through September, or during emergency school closures, October through April.
Last Day of SFSP Operations
The last day SFSP meals can be claimed is the day prior to the first day of school. Local Education Agencies (LEAs) will need to resume providing meals under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP). Approved CACFP sponsors should transition back to At-Risk Afterschool Meal operations.
Sponsors may extend their SFSP schedule into September, if the local school district will not resume operations until September. All SFSP waivers may continue to be implemented until the NSLP/SBP begins in your community.
Extending your program?
Please revise the end date for the site calendars in WINS to reflect your program’s last day of operation. Please note that the SFSP schedule cannot overlap with the start date of the NSLP/SBP.
Questions? Please email summermeals@k12.wa.us or call 360-725-6200.
OSPI CNS would like to thank all of our 2020 SFSP sponsors. Because of you, the children across the state have had access to healthy meals throughout the unanticipated school closure and summer months. This year looked a little (or very) different from previous years and we want to hear from you!
Join us for the SFSP Wrap-up Webinar TODAY, August 24, 2019, from 1:30-2:30pm! During the webinar we will provide final details regarding the operation of SFSP in the future and invite sponsors to share their experiences with the Summer Food Service Program this year. Help us learn how we can better serve you in the future.
Register for the Webinar Here
Questions? Please email summermeals@k12.wa.us or call 360-725-6200.
September 11, 2020, is the last date to apply for Pandemic EBT (P-EBT).
The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Department of Social and Health Services have teamed up to create a new program called Pandemic EBT, or P-EBT, for short. These benefits will help families most impacted by the COVID-19 crisis to continue to have access to nutritious meals.
P-EBT is available for students, including children of immigrant households, who were enrolled in a K-12 school that offered a school lunch program during the 2019-20 school year AND were eligible for free or reduced-price school meals; or attended a school where meals were free for all students.
There are two ways to apply:
- Online: www.WashingtonConnection.org (on the application, choose ‘Pandemic EBT — Emergency School Meals Program’ box in the Food Assistance section); or,
- Call: 877–501–2233 (DSHS Customer Service Contact Center — interpreter services are available)
Please use your social media to get the word out to the families you serve!
Additional information and translated documents are available on the OSPI Pandemic EBT Guidance for Schools webpage.
OSPI Child Nutrition Services has formed a Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Team to assess our policies and procedures in Child Nutrition Services to identify any areas of racial or ethnic inequity. Following this investigatory process, we will develop and implement an action plan to address issues identified.
We invite Child Nutrition Program sponsoring organization administrators and operators and other organizations that support child nutrition and/or advocate for social justice to participate in a virtual focus group with us on August 25, 2020, from 2 – 4pm PT.
If you would like to participate, register here.
Can’t participate, but still want to provide input to this process? Complete this survey.
The second section of the SFSP Records requested were due last Friday, August 7. If you have not sent them in, please make sure to do so.
Under Child Nutrition Response #31, Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Administrative Reviews will be conducted as a Desk Audit. This new process allows us to conduct your review while maintaining public health guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In order to help sponsors transition to the desk audit process, we recorded a webinar detailing the what you need to prepare for the desk review, required documentation, the timeline of the review process, and how to submit your review documents.
View the Recorded Training here | Print a copy of the slides
IMPORTANT UPDATE!
Please notify the summer meals inbox once all documents have been uploaded into WINS. Originally we asked you to send your notification to a different inbox, please ensure to send this notification to the summer meals inbox. Thank you for all of your work to complete the reviews off-site.
Have questions regarding your SFSP review? Please email summermeals@k12.wa.us.
You must communicate updates to your meal distribution plan and waivers if details of your service change.
- Submit your Meal Distribution Plan & Waiver Updates survey here.
- Update your WINS Calendars.
OSPI makes the information provided from your WINS application and the electronic application checklist available to the community.
Possible WINS changes may include:
- Meal service times
- Dates of service changes
- Changes to Average Daily Attendance (ADA)
-
Sponsors with vended meals must make ADA revisions prior to submitting monthly claims. Revised ADAs will not be approved for claims that go into error status due to meals claimed over the approved CAP.
- Adding sites (contact your specialist)
Possible Meals Distribution Plan and Waiver updates may include:
- Use of available waivers
- Changing days of meal distribution
- Providing more than one meal at a time
- Providing multiple days' worth of meals
Questions? Unsure if you need to make adjustments? Please contact your program specialist.
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) provides healthy meals to all children ages 18 & under, and adults ages 21 and under enrolled in a Washington school district.
SFSP sponsors must promote meal access to all children. This includes providing accommodations for children with disabilities who have special dietary needs.
Often times accommodations can be made within the meal pattern requirements. If this is the case, a medical statement is not required. Examples of this may include modifying the texture of meals (pureed, chopped, etc.) and substituting food items from the same component.
Potential Substitutions
Gluten Free Grains
- Corn Products, such as tortillas, tortilla chips, popcorn, corn-based cereals
- Rice Products, such as rice crackers, enriched white or brown rice, rice cereals
- Oat Products, such as gluten-free oatmeal or oat-based granola bars
Milk Alternatives*
- Lactose-free milk
- Lactose-reduced milk
*Please note that approved milk substitutes are not creditable in SFSP without a note signed by a state-recognized medical authority.
Meat Alternates
- Yogurt, flavored or unflavored and nonfat, low-fat, or whole
- Cheese, such as cheddar, mozzarella, American, or Swiss
- Beans or Peas, such as black beans, refried beans, chickpeas, or hummus
- Nuts/Seeds*, such as almonds, cashews, or sunflower seeds
- Nut/Seed Butters, such as almond butter, peanut butter, or sunflower butter
- Eggs
*Please note that Nuts/Seeds may only comprise 50% of the M/MA component at lunch/supper.
Substitutions Outside the Meal Pattern
If an accommodation cannot be made within the meal pattern requirements, a statement signed by a state-recognized medical authority would need to be submitted. The statement must detail:
- Food(s) to be avoided
- How the food impacts the participant
- Food(s) to be substituted
OSPI has developed the Special Dietary Accommodations Form, available in both English & Spanish, as a resource. When supported by a signature from a state-recognized medical authority, meal modifications that do not meet meal pattern requirements can be claimed for reimbursement.
Resources on Special Dietary Accommodations
Questions? Please email summermeals@k12.wa.us.
|
September 15
|
August Claims Due in WINS
|
|
