New Hire Training Reminder
Staff who began working in the cafeteria after the start of the school year must receive the required number of training hours. These staff members must be civil rights trained and must receive job-specific training as it pertains to the child nutrition programs. Review the courses on Moodle as well as the Institute of Child Nutrition’s iLearn training platform for online training options.
Claims Payment Delay
Because October is a new fiscal year for federal programs, October claims payments are delayed. IDOE is working quickly to process claims payments in a timely manner. Please contact the School and Community Nutrition finance team with questions. Your patience is appreciated.
Milk Shortage Guidance
IDOE has been made aware of a milk shortage related to Prairie Farms; however, shortages can happen with any vendor at any time. Please save the following information for future use and reach out to your assigned field specialist with additional questions.
Under current program regulations found at 7 CFR 210.10(d)(2), 220.8(d), 225.16(f)(6), and 226.20(e)(1), state agencies may allow program operators experiencing milk supply shortages to serve meals during an emergency period with an alternate form of fluid milk or without fluid milk. Although program operators are expected to meet the fluid milk requirements to the greatest extent possible, supply chain disruptions, including disruptions that limit milk variety or affect serving size, would be considered a temporary emergency condition for purposes of this flexibility. Because juice is not a nutritionally valid substitution for milk, consider alternative sources of milk or serve water as a substitute, if necessary. Documentation of meals served without offering milk is required to be maintained on production records to provide USDA with valid data, if requested. School food service directors should reach out to their field specialist with questions.
Farm to School Map
We are building a Farm to School Map! Do your schools have a school garden, hydroponic tower, agriculture education program, or procure local food? We want to know about it! Please email Sophie Lindley for information on how to add your school to the list.
Indiana Food Day Survey
Did your school participate in this year’s Indiana Food Day, focusing on local proteins? If so, we would love to hear from you! Please complete this brief survey on Food Day 2023. Contact the Farm to School team with questions.
FDP 2.0 Update
Due to unforeseen circumstances, IDOE is postponing the FDP 2.0 rollout until further notice. Schools should continue to complete food distribution program transactions such as placing USDA Foods orders, annual pre-order surveys, and inventory management in CNPweb. IDOE will notify schools via this newsletter, and the CNPweb update and message screen when FDP 2.0 goes live.
Department of Defense (DoD) Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program
It’s time to submit your school’s DoD Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program allocation request for school year (SY) 2024-2025. Schools must complete the form that applies to the appropriate School Food Authority. The deadline for submission is Friday, December 15, at 5 p.m. ET. DoD allocations are deducted from your school’s USDA Foods entitlement before the annual pre-order survey opens.
Click here if your school is on the DoD program for SY 2023-2024.
Click here if your school is not on the DoD program for SY 2023-2024.
For more information on the DoD Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program, please visit the IDOE DoD Fresh Website, view IDOE’s 3-part DoD series in Moodle, and/or review the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) and DoD Fresh comparison chart. Contact Cheryl Moore with questions.
Holiday USDA Foods Orders
Please remember that it is mandatory to have school staff available to inspect, verify, and accept all USDA Foods orders that are placed. This is especially important for orders placed during school breaks and holidays. State-assigned warehouses Dilgard Frozen Foods, McFarling Foods, Stanz Foodservice, and Wabash Foods are contracted to deliver Direct Delivered (Brown Box) USDA Foods to schools between the hours of 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. local school time.
Verification Summary Report (VSR)
Join IDOE for a VSR training session that will walk participants step by step through the report on Thursday, December 7, from 2 to 3 p.m. ET. Register here.
Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN): Strategies for Motivating School Nutrition Teams
Understanding effective strategies to inspire and engage your team is essential for achieving excellence in your program. This webinar will aim to empower school nutrition professionals with proven strategies to establish a motivated and high-performing team. The webinar will provide practical insights to elevate morale, productivity, collaboration, and overall success to help create an environment where the school nutrition team thrives.
Thursday, November 30, from 3 to 4 p.m. ET. Register here.
Farm to School Office Hours
IDOE hosts Farm to School Office Hours each month! Join Brianna Goode, Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) Farm to School Coordinator, and Sophie Lindley, IDOE Farm to School Coordinator will answer any questions you have about getting started, share specific details for existing programs, and support for initiatives that want to expand. Office hours are on the third Wednesday of the month from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. ET. Click here to join.
Upcoming Dates |
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Wednesday, November 29
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September Claim Due Date
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Tuesday, November 30, 3 to 4 p.m. ET
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Institute of Child Nutrition: Strategies for Motivating School Nutrition Teams
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Thursday, December 7, 2 to 3 p.m. ET
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VSR Training
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Friday, December 15, at 5 p.m. ET
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SY 2024-2025 DoD Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program allocation request due
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This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
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