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National School Lunch Program
December 2022
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Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
Division of Finance and Support Services
Child Nutrition Programs
P.O. Box 110500
Juneau, AK 99811 |
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USDA Policy, Information, and Implementation Memos
Food Nutrition Services Response to COVID-19 web page (including Extension memos)
For all Policy and Memos from USDA Regarding NSLP / SBP go here .
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Important Upcoming Events:
Dates:
- Sponsors should be wrapping up the On-Site Counting & Claiming Self-Monitored Reviews. Each lunch site and ½ of the breakfast sites are to be reviewed within the first 4 months of operation. Forms can be located on the CNP Web - Checklist Tab. Submit summary report to Debbie.soto@alaska.gov as soon as possible. Official deadline is February 15th. NOTE: Single-site districts are not required to conduct the on-site reviews but it is strongly encouraged!
- Application Verification is now over (ended 11/15/2022). Please submit your Verification Report to Debbie.soto@alaska.gov as soon as possible. Official deadline is February 1st.
- Please submit your October 2022 claims as soon as possible so we can get started on the Free & Reduced Price Report
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Additional Topics
AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM (ACP)
Help spread the word about a new program to lower costs for families and close the digital divide. As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the President and Congress created the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides eligible households up to $30/month (or $75/month for households living on Tribal lands) toward their internet bills, as well as a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet.
All households with a child who is approved to receive free or reduced price school meals under the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program, within the last 12 months, including children who attend schools participating in the Community Eligibility Provision, are eligible for ACP benefits. Households are also independently eligible if (1) their income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level ($55,500 for a family of four); or (2) a member of the household participates in certain other Federal benefit programs—including, among others, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Medicaid, and Federal Public Housing Assistance.
To further lower costs, the Biden-Harris Administration secured commitments from internet service providers across the country to offer high-speed plans that are fully covered by the ACP. As a result, millions of working families can now get high-speed internet without paying a dime.
Families can check their eligibility, sign up, and find fully covered plans at GetInternet.gov (mobile-accessible and available in Spanish) or by calling 877-384-2575.
About 13 million households have enrolled, but tens of millions more have not yet claimed their ACP benefit. Help ensure all eligible families sign up to save on their internet bills.
To support your efforts, please feel free to use the following resources:
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GetInternet.gov—a one-stop shop to learn about ACP, check eligibility, enroll, and find fully covered internet plans.
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ACP Outreach Toolkit—outreach materials from the Federal Communications Commission, including sample factsheets, flyers, PSAs, text messages, social media posts, and more.
- Outreach partners can request the pre-qualification widget to embed on their own websites by emailing ACProgram@usac.org with the subject line “ACP Widget" for technical support. In the email, please include the web address where you plan to add the widget. The interactive widget includes questions to check eligibility and apply for ACP.
- White House Fact Sheet on the ACP and its benefits.
Additionally, please note that this benefit is not considered income for purposes of determining eligibility for free and reduced price school meals.
FNS appreciates the exceptional efforts of State agencies to assist families in need through the promotion of programs like the ACP. Together, we can connect those we serve to a support network that bolsters families and communities. If you have questions, please contact your Regional Office.
DUNS to Unique Entity ID (SAM) Transition
https://sam.gov/content/duns-uei
This page contains resources to help you through the transition from DUNS Number to Unique Entity ID (SAM). Sometimes you may see UEI used as an abbreviation of Unique Entity ID. On this page, you can:
- Learn about how this transition affects you, based on the work you do in SAM.gov
- Explore general information about the UEI and this change
- Get started with requesting a UEI, if you don't have one yet
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Resources
The Nutrient Analysis Protocols: How to Analyze Menus for USDA’s School Meals Programs (NAP Manual) is a technical assistance resource for school nutrition or state agency professionals.
This manual provides guidance for the calculation of nutrient analyses of school menus, which allow the school and state agency to provide documentation that the school is meeting the dietary specifications for National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.
Link to Manual: Nutrient-Analysis-Protocols-Manual
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Access to Food for Homeless and Highly Mobile Students This flyer has a lot of great information on student eligibility for categorically eligible students and what kinds of documentation is required for school meals. You can find this great resource on our Child Nutrition Resources web page at: https://education.alaska.gov/cnp/resources .
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The Guide to Professional Standards for School Nutrition Programs is a central resource that comprehensively outlines the required USDA Professional Standards for State and local school nutrition program professionals who manage and operate the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP).* The resource supports school nutrition professionals in ensuring they have the knowledge, training, and tools they need to ensure the success of the NSLP and SBP. This updated version includes the four new hiring flexibilities established March 1, 2019, for new school nutrition program directors in small local educational agencies (LEAs) and new State directors of school nutrition programs under the Professional Standards regulations for the NSLP and SBP. It also provides useful information regarding available trainings in the Professional Standards Training Database and tracking training using the Professional Standards Training Tracker Tool (PSTTT).
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Grant Opportunities
No Current Grant Opportunities at this time. Please stay tuned for future opportunities!
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NEW UPDATED: USDA Nondiscrimination Statement as of May 2022
There is a new version of the nondiscrimination statement that must be used effective immediately. Below is the new wording; please make sure any of your publications have this version, and the new statement must be included on your web sites. Additionally, you will need to make sure all of your "And Justice for All" posters are updated. Contact us to order your new posters at Debbie.soto@alaska.gov., but please be aware that USDA has yet to send any to DEED. Continue using your most recent "And Justice for All" posters until the new ones show up.
USDA Nondiscrimination Statement
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
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mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
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fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
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email:
program.intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
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CNP-Web and Primero Edge User Authorizations
Child Nutrition Programs (CNP) assigns a user name and password to nutrition and education staff when a User Authorization form is completed and submitted to CNP when access is needed for the claiming system (CNP-Web and Primero Edge), as part of the staff’s job duties. These forms state:
“I will not share my user name and password in order to maintain the integrity of the data. If another user uses the CNP Web or Primero Edge under my user name and password and provides false information, I understand that I will be responsible for the information supplied to CNP.
I will notify the CNP immediately if my user name and password have been compromised. CNP will give me a new user name and password.
If I no longer need access to the CNP Web, I understand that it is my responsibility to submit a form to end access.”
CNP staff have been noticing quite a number of users and education staff that are sharing their user names and passwords which is NOT ALLOWED. When this occurs CNP staff will immediately turn off that user name’s access and that staff will be required to obtain a new user name and password. If this behavior continues we may be forced to deny access to the CNP-Web and Primero Edge for those staff members. Please be sure you are not sharing your user names with other staff. If a new member needs access they must submit a User Authorization form located on our web page:
CNP-Web Access
Primero Edge Access
If you have any questions regarding this requirement you may contact Debbie Soto (Debbie.soto@alaska.gov) or 907-465-8712.
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Contact Us
- Program Coordinator (USDA Foods, TEFAP, FFVP)
- Program Coordinator (NSLP)
- Program Coordinator (CACFP)
- Grants Administrator
- Program Specialist (SFSP)
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- Program Specialist (School Wellness)
- Education Program Associate II (Special Milk Program)
- Education Program Assistant (USDA Foods, TEFAP)
- Education Program Assistant (CACFP & SFSP)
- Pandemic EBT Specialist
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