Nutrition Program Bulletin – Week of February 17, 2020
Each section contains updates relevant to those nutrition programs. You can jump to the section you're interested in by clicking the link.
New Farm to Summer Report
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) released a new report, “Farm to Summer: Connecting Children with Local Foods and Farmers through Summer Meal Programs." The report explores the feasibility of expanding Farm to Summer activities, the opportunities and challenges that come with implementing these strategies, and best practices and lessons learned from early efforts around the country.
CACFP Basic Training
CACFP Basic Training is an in-person workshop that provides basic information on the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). A certificate of attendance will be provided after the workshop.
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Wednesday, March 18, 2020 – Moorhead, MN, 1-5 p.m., at Moorhead Public Library. Register for March 18 Session in Moorhead
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Wednesday, May 20, 2020 – Brainerd, MN, 1-5 p.m., at Brainerd Public Library. Register for May 20 Session in Brainerd
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Thursday, July 23, 2020 – Roseville, MN, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., at Minnesota Department of Education. Register for July 23 Session in Roseville
View the CACFP Basics Training page for more details about this series of trainings.
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Special Announcement Series #3:
Thank you to those who registered and listened to the Ready-Set-Shop webinar on February 11. We have recorded the webinar and can send the link upon request. Questions gathered will be put into a Q&A that will be distributed soon.
Opening of "Stores":
Along with a new way to order, comes new verbiage! We are on schedule with the testing of FDP2 and “stores” in which to select food items should open the first week of March. Make sure you make time to fit your spring ordering of USDA Foods into your schedule as we are on a tighter deadline with the new system. The stores are estimated to be open the first week in March and will close on March 19. We cannot budge on this deadline as we have a specific date to get orders to the USDA.
Upcoming Trainings:
The next “Ready, Set, Shop” webinar is set for Thursday, March 5 at 2 p.m. This will include additional CLiCS/FDP2 screens to better illustrate the new system and ordering process. A registration link for the March 5 webinar will be coming out shortly. Watch for information in the next Bulletin.
Thank You!
Thank you to all of you for your contributions and working with us during this exciting time of change.
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USDA Request for Public Comment: Eligibility Determination Collection Burden
USDA is requesting public comments regarding the collection of free and reduced-price meal and free milk eligibility determination reporting, recordkeeping and public notification in schools. Previous information collection methods unintentionally omitted the burden hours associated with the Special Milk Program's eligibility criteria, which has now been included. Please provide comments to USDA FNS by March 23, 2020.
USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) Application Opens March 10
Applications for the FFVP will be open in the Cyber-Linked Interactive Child Nutrition System (CLiCS) beginning March 10. Applications are due April 14, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. CT.
The award period is anticipated to be July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021.
Eligible applicants must:
- Be an elementary school; and
- Currently participate in the National School Lunch Program; and
- Have at least 50 percent or more of its students eligible for free or reduced-price meals.
Funding priority will be given to schools with the highest level of free and reduced-price eligibility. These numbers will be automatically calculated and uploaded into the CLiCS application.
The application instructions, supplemental documents, and more program details are available on the Minnesota Department of Education’s FFVP website. School Food Authorities can begin their application by logging into the CLiCS website.
A Tuesdays @ 2 webinar will review the FFVP application process. Register for the March 17 Tuesdays @ 2 webinar.
Sharing of Student Meal Eligibility Data for ACT Fee Waivers
We have received a number of questions about sharing free and reduced-price meal eligibility data with school staff who submit ACT fee waiver requests. According to USDA, this information is confidential as defined in federal regulation and thus is not public under Minnesota law, so it can only be shared for this specific reason with parental consent. This can be acquired through a Household Confidentiality Waiver. For additional information, please review Section 5: Confidentiality and Disclosure (starting on Page 81) of the USDA Eligibility Manual for School Meals.
We are working to develop additional guidance for the 2021 school year that will facilitate information being shared for this purpose. Please direct your calls to our toll-free number 1-800-366-8922.
Upcoming Tuesdays @ 2 Webinars
Listed below are the upcoming Tuesdays @ 2 webinar trainings for SNP sponsors:
- Special Provision Options for Schools (February 18, 2020, at 2 p.m.)
- Key Resource Management Performance Indicators (February 25, 2020, at 2 p.m.)
- Spring Break Dialogue with Deb (March 3, 2020, at 2 p.m.)
Learn more and register: Tuesdays @ 2 webinars.
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2020 Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Waiver Request Submitted
MDE recently applied for the continued use of USDA waivers regarding offer versus serve, first week site visits, meal service time limitations, and area eligibility in closed enrolled sites for summer 2020. You can view more details about our waiver request in our Public Notice posted in the Minnesota State Register (p. 829 in print; p. 13 in the PDF). We will include further updates on the status of our SFSP waiver request in future Bulletin messages. If you have any further questions, please contact our office at 651-582-8526 or 1-800-366-8922.
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Action for Healthy Kids Grant Opportunities
Parents for Healthy Kids grants and Game On grants
Between now and April 3, parents and school staff can apply for a school grant to improve kids' health and well-being, which helps them learn, succeed, and thrive. Learn about the grants, including physical activity and/or nutrition initiatives, at Action for Healthy Kids. Check back throughout the month of February for additional grant opportunities to be added. Questions? Attend a grant webinar or reach out to Kristie Probst, Minnesota State Coordinator, at kprobst@actionforhealthykids.org.
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