Nutrition Program Updates for the Week of April 15, 2019

department of education

Nutrition Program Updates for the Week of April 15, 2019

Each section contains updates relevant to those nutrition programs. You can jump to the section you're interested in by clicking the link.


All Child Nutrition Programs

Child Nutrition Program Eligibility Guidelines for Program Year 2019-20

The Child Nutrition Programs Income Eligibility Guidelines are used in determining eligibility for free and reduced-price meals and free milk. The Federal Register Notice announcing the guidelines for the period from July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020, was published on March 20, 2019. Access the Federal Register Notice guidelines in PDF format.

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Job Opening: Nutrition Program Consultant – Apply by April 19

The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) is hiring a Nutrition Program Consultant (Job ID #31785). This position provides consultative services and administrative review visits for Child Nutrition programs, including the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). This role supports statewide oversight within MDE's Nutrition, Health and Youth Development (NHYD) Division, to ensure implementation of federal child nutrition programs operated by organizations throughout the state.

Please share this opportunity with your networks and encourage qualified candidates to apply by April 19, 2019.

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Child and Adult Care Food Programs (CACFP)

Upcoming CACFP Training Opportunities 

Infant Feeding and Meal Pattern Training Opportunities

Check out the upcoming infant feeding and meal pattern trainings that we announced in our Special CACFP Bulletin last week. These upcoming trainings include a live webinar and four in-person workshops across the state.

Upcoming CACFP Basic Trainings (In-person)

This CACFP Basic in-person training provides an introduction to the CACFP program, and is great for new center staff. Upcoming training dates are:

  • April 17, 2019 (8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.) Duluth
  • July 25, 2019 (8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.) Roseville

Access further information and registration for CACFP Basic Training.

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School Nutrition Programs

Community Eligibility Provision: Notification of District-wide Eligibility and Application Deadline for School Year 2019-20

Key Points

  • Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) applications for School Year 2019-20 are due no later than June 28, 2019.
  • The list of 2019-20 School Food Authority (SFA) proxy data, used to determine eligibility for the CEP, is now available on the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) CEP webpage.

Full Details

The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) allows eligible districts and/or schools in low-income areas to provide school lunches and breakfasts at no charge to all students, using simplified meal counting and claiming procedures.

To be eligible, School Food Authorities (SFAs) and/or schools must have a minimum Identified Student Percentage (ISP) of 40 percent as of April 1, 2019. For more information on how the ISP is calculated, including a list showing an estimated districtwide ISP for eligible and near-eligible SFAs, visit the MDE CEP webpage. Note that the SFA ISP data in this list is sorted by SFA sponsor number.

To begin preparing your CEP application, see the CEP Application Instructions for School Year 2019-20. As you prepare to apply, consider these other important facts and upcoming dates about the CEP application:

  • SFAs must submit their applications through the Cyber-Linked Interactive Child Nutrition System 2 (CLiCS 2). Applications will be available in CLiCS 2 in May 2019.
  • Residential Child Care Institutions (RCCIs) are not eligible to participate in CEP. However, a day treatment program site that is operated by an RCCI is eligible to participate.
  • A list showing estimated site/school level ISPs will be available on the Minnesota Department of Education’s website by May 1.
  • SFAs or sites interested in CEP should consider other factors besides their ISP before they apply. Does participating make financial sense? Do you have staff and community support to participate? See the CEP webpage resources and the CEP Decision Tree for more guidance on whether to apply for CEP.

Please contact Nicole Podhora at 651-582-8490 or cep.mde@state.mn.us if you have any questions about CEP.

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Reminder: School Outreach for Summer Programs

All School Food Authorities (SFAs) are required to annually inform families about Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sites in their area per USDA statute 7 CFR 210.12(d),

Before the end of the school year, SFAs must provide SFSP information through the means normally used to communicate with families like a newsletter, email and website. There are a few different options for notify families of SFSP information:

  • Make a list of the SFSP site locations and hours in your area by using any link shown below.
  • Provide the links shown below so that families can locate SFSP sites in any area.
  • Download a backpack slip or graphic for your newsletter from www.summereatsmn.org

There are five easy ways to locate SFSP meal sites based on a location:

  • Download the Summer Eats Minnesota Mobile App, OR search the app store on your smartphone or device for the free app "Summer Eats Minnesota."
  • Text "Summer Meals" to 97779. Spanish speakers, text "Verano" to 97779.
  • Link to USDA Interactive Map Summer Food Rocks.
  • Call the National Hunger Hotline at 1-866-3-Hungry or 1-877-8-HAMBRE, available from Monday through Friday, 6 a.m.-9 p.m., Central Time.
  • Call the 2-1-1 Hotline or from cell phones – Twin Cities Metro Area: 651-291-0211; Greater Minnesota: 800-543-7709; TTY: 651-291-8440.

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Opportunity to Boost School Breakfast Program Participation 

The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Team Nutrition Program is offering a unique opportunity for six high schools during School Year 2019-20. The schools which apply and are selected to participate will receive free technical assistance from a nutrition consultant to help them increase School Breakfast Program (SBP) participation. In order to be eligible, schools must participate in the SBP and serve grades 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12. Participating in this program will help you generate new ideas for your breakfast program, build excitement, and increase participation. Visit the MDE School Breakfast Page for more details.

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Upcoming School Nutrition Program Training Opportunities

All training opportunities are listed on the School Nutrition's Training and Professional Standards webpage.

Tuesdays @ 2 Webinars

  • Food Safety: Cooling Procedures (April 16, 2019, at 2 p.m.)
  • Completing the CEP Application (April 23, 2019, at 2 p.m.)
  • Dialogue with Deb: School Year Wrap-Up (April 30, 2019, at 2 p.m.)

Access further information and registration for Tuesdays @ 2 webinars.

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Summer Food Service Program

Update: Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Waiver Requests Approved

In a previous Nutrition Program Update, we shared that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) had rescinded (i.e., cancelled) four waivers that it had previously granted to all state agencies administering the SFSP. We also shared that MDE was planning to re-apply for those waivers, so that they would be re-approved before the 2019 summer program year began. We are happy to report that all four waiver requests have been approved. You can view more details about our waiver request in the Public Notice posted in the Minnesota State Register (p. 734).

If you have any questions, please contact our office at 651-582-8526 or 1-800-366-8922.

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Opportunities from Our Partners

Salad Bars to Schools Grant Applications

Salad Bars to Schools is a nonprofit organization that has granted over 5,000 salad bars to schools since 2010—and yours could be next! The Salad Bars To Schools program is focused on donating salad bars to school districts so that every child across our nation has daily access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis, and any district or independent school participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is eligible to apply. Learn more about Salad Bars to Schools program.

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Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) Grant Opportunities

The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) is offering two grant opportunities to select school districts.

Grant Opportunity 1: Increase school breakfast participation by implementing breakfast in the classroom, “grab and go” breakfast and/or second chance breakfast.

  • The funded schools must agree to offer free breakfast to all students.
  • Grant recipients will receive up to $8,000 per school to support the start-up costs for implementing such a breakfast program; and technical assistance to ensure the successful implementation of a sustainable program.
  • To be eligible school must meet the following criteria:
    • 70 percent or more of all students at the school are eligible for free or reduced-price meals, or the school already offers free breakfast to all students; and
    • less than 50 percent of the students who are eligible for free and reduced-price school meals are participating in breakfast.

Grant Opportunity 2: Increase participation in the child nutrition programs at charter schools. Funding can be used to support implementation of a “breakfast after the bell” program, such as breakfast in the classroom or grab and go, or to start a school lunch, afterschool supper, or summer meal program.

  • The funded schools must agree to offer meals at no charge to all students.
  • Grant recipients will receive up to $8,000 to support the start-up costs for implementing new or expanded federal child nutrition programs, and technical assistance to ensure the successful implementation of a sustainable program.
  • To be eligible, schools must meet the following criteria:
    • at least 70 percent of students qualify for free and reduced-price meals; and,
    • for school breakfast, the school must not already operate a “breakfast after the bell” program and,
    • less than 50 percent of students must currently participate in the School Breakfast Program

Grant proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis. For further information about the grant opportunities, please contact Diane Girouard at dgirouard@frac.org.

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