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Check out the CACFP Memo Page for a list of all memos and announcements.
On August 23, 2023, USDA Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) published the Child Nutrition Program Integrity final rule. The final rule includes provisions for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), CACFP, and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).
CACFP-specific provisions are listed as part of the Initial Implementation Memorandum: Child Nutrition Program Integrity Final Rule (CACFP 10-2023) memo in the attachment section (pages 8-19). The tables in the attachment cover previously implemented provisions as well as new provisions. The following new provisions are listed here:
- State Agency Review Requirements in CACFP
- State Liability for Payments to Aggrieved Child Care Institutions
- Financial Review of Sponsoring Organizations in CACFP
- Standard Agreements Between Sponsoring Organizations and Sponsored Child Care Centers
- Fines for Violating Program Requirements (only for exceptional/rare circumstances)
- State Administrative Expense Funds (SAE)
Sponsors who wish to review the final rule or program-specific provisions can review the links to the final rule and the memo in the paragraphs above. Training and additional information on provisions that may affect Sponsors will be provided by ODE CNP prior to implementation. Sponsors are encouraged to review upcoming CACFP Knowing and Growing Newsletters for additional information.
If you have questions regarding the final rule, reach out to your assigned Child Nutrition Specialist.
CACFP Renewals are still underway! While many CACFP Sponsors have already been approved for Fiscal Year 2024 (October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024), some CACFP Sponsors are continuing to work with their assigned Child Nutrition Specialist on their renewal applications.
If you are still working with your assigned Child Nutrition Specialist on renewals, you can make this process more smooth by:
- Responding in a timely manner to Specialist e-mails or phone calls.
- Making requested revisions to online or offline forms. CNPweb forms must be resubmitted into Pending Approval for review.
- Submitting any additional documentation or information, as requested.
If you need to make revisions to your application while you are waiting for your Specialist to review your application, send an e-mail to your Specialist and they will be able to send the application into Needs Correction status so you can complete your edits.
ODE CNP is looking to approve all applications by September 15, 2023 to ensure that all Sponsors are prepared to start CACFP FY 2024 starting on October 1, 2023.
All Sponsors are required to have the most current USDA Non-Discrimination Statement on their website as part of the public notification system informing applicants, participants, and potentially eligible persons of their rights. This is part of FNS Instruction 113-1: Civil Rights Compliance and Enforcement (section IX).
While the non-discrimination statement (NDS) is not required on every page of a website, at a minimum, the non-discrimination statement, or a link to it, must be included on the main page where CACFP and other meal service information is provided.
Our regional USDA office has provided us with additional guidance on acceptable posting of the NDS:
- Sponsors may post the full NDS statement or the short NDS statement with a link embedded in the short statement like this: "This institution is an equal opportunity provider"
- The NDS statement must be on the main page where CACFP and other meal service or nutrition information is provided and available within one click
- If a Sponsor does not have a public webpage, but only a social media account like Facebook, the NDS statement must be pinned in the Featured section of their page
If you have additional questions regarding the NDS requirement, reach out to your assigned Child Nutrition Specialist.
All multi-site Sponsors, including School Food Authorities, are required to monitor all sites operating on CACFP to ensure compliance with program requirements. Site monitoring visits for all multi-site Sponsors must meet the following requirements:
- A minimum of three monitoring visits per site within the fiscal year
- Two of the three visits must be unannounced
- At least one visit must include a meal observation
- No more than six operating months may elapse between visits
Sponsor monitoring staff are encouraged to:
- Check with site staff to verify meal times and meals/snacks served
- Create a timeline of planned announced and unannounced monitoring visits
- Determine back-up staff for monitoring if regular monitoring staff is unavailable
- Prepare all documents that will be needed for review, including the Site Monitoring Report, which can be downloaded from the CACFP Resources Page.
Note that monitoring cannot be contracted out and must be completed by Sponsor staff. In addition, site staff are not allowed to monitor their own site.
If you have questions regarding site monitoring, reach out to your assigned Child Nutrition Specialist.
One Month Enrollment Rosters (OMER) are required to be completed each year in October for Child Care Centers, Adult Day Care Centers, Outside School Hours Child Care Centers, and Head Start sites with community slots. OMER numbers are used to determine the blended reimbursement rates for site types that require them. While OMER numbers are not needed to complete your CACFP Renewal Applications, October 2023 OMER numbers will be required when submitting October 2023 claims.
Many Sponsors start to collect necessary documents for the OMER in August or September each year. Here are a few tips:
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Child Enrollment Forms (CEFs) are required for all enrolled participants at Child Care Centers and Head Starts. CEFs are valid from the first day of the month in which the form was signed by the parent/legal guardian through the last day of that same calendar month twelve months later.
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Confidential Income Statements (CIS) must be sent out to all households along with the Letter to Household. All forms and letters can be found on the ODE CNP Confidential Income Statement page.
- Families are not required to submit completed CIS. Participants without completed CIS must be listed as 'Above Scale on the OMER.'
- School Districts may use Direct Certification lists in lieu of a completed CIS. The list must be saved to verify participant eligibility.
- CIS must be signed and dated by the Determining Official at your organization by the end of October in order to be valid for your October OMER.
All required documents, including the OMER, CEFs and CISs can be found on the CACFP Resources page. ODE also created an OMER Quick Reference Guide with basic information on the purpose of the OMER and the steps that are required to complete it.
For more detailed information on creating an OMER procedure, check out the recorded One Month Enrollment Roster (OMER) Procedure webinar.
The 2023-2025 Biennium Oregon Farm to CNP Non-Competitive Reimbursement Grant is now live! The biennium runs from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2025. All Sponsors of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) in good standing will automatically be opted in to this reimbursement grant.
Minimum awards will start at $3,500 and will be calculated using a formula based on the Sponsor's meal counts from July 1, 2022-March 31, 2023. All Sponsors were notified on July 18, 2023 via e-mail of the award amount they will be receiving.
Grants will be live as soon as the Sponsor returns the agreement, retroactive to July 1, 2023. All Sponsors must view the Mandatory Training (PowerPoint) and complete a Reimbursement Grant Training Attestation Form.
Additional information, including information on allowable and unallowable products, reporting requirements and timelines, and claiming procedures are available on the ODE CNP Farm to CNP Non-Competitive Reimbursement Grant page.
Not sure how to use your funds? Check out the Farm to School Combined Claims File to see what other Sponsors have bought in 2022-2023 with their funds.
Questions about Farm to CNP? Reach out to FarmtoCNP@ode.oregon.gov.
This October, let's celebrate Farm to School and all it brings to our children, food producers and communities!
The Oregon Farm to School & School Garden Network is here to support whatever kind of celebration fits your community. Whether it's a 100% local school meal, a visit to the cafeteira from a local food producer or legislator, school garden activities, farm field trips, or participating in the first Oregon Farm to School CRUNCH!
Learn more and share how you plan to celebrate on October 5, 2023
What's a Crunch you ask? It's a simple and fun way to feature Oregon produce in your school or community. Learn more on the Farm to School Month Webpage.
Here's how to participate:
- Choose a Crunch Local Fruit or Veggie
- Coordinate a School-Wide Time
- Crunch Together!
Sign up for the Crunch! Or share your other plans here.
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Welcome as we are launching into a new chapter of culinary training presented by Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and Oregon Dairy and Nutrition Council (ODNC). ODE in partnership with ODNC has presented culinary training in many different formats, via in-person regional events, online virtual trainings and now through newsletter articles packed with information and links to resources. Look for the “Kitchen Chat” article each month to see what’s cooking.
Bringing Fast Casual* to the Cafeteria - Everybody loves a trend. Whether it’s fashion or food, the “new” thing definitely draws interest. Children and students are no strangers to the lure of a trend and when that trend is tasty, it is even better. Bring some of their favorite food trends to your kitchen and increase their interest in your programs. We are creating short videos and recipes to bring some of the delicious trends kids see in fast casual restaurants to you to use in your programs. Check out our first video short, Buffalo Cauliflower Bites, and look for more videos and recipes to come.
*Fast Casual Restaurants = Fast casual offers the convenience of fast food, while offering some of the elements of casual dining like an inviting atmosphere, seating, and in some cases self-serve items.
Kitchen Chat webinar - All the Things You Can Do with Farm 2 CNP. Join Crista Hawkins (ODNC), Jessica Visinsky (ODE) for their third Kitchen Chat webinar and listen to Farm 2 CNP’s Rick Sherman answer your questions about the Farm 2 programs, opportunities and more.
When: Sep 27, 2023 02:00 PM Pacific Time
Register in advance for this meeting: Register for Farm 2 CNP Kitchen Chat and let us know what questions you have for the Farm 2 CNP team.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Thanks for reading Kitchen Chat. For questions or ideas about future articles or culinary trainings, please contact Crista Hawkins at chawkins@odncouncil.org or Jessica Visinsky at jessica.visinsky@ode.oregon.gov
The Spanish translation of the Crediting Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is now available online.
The Crediting Handbook helps CACFP operators plan nutritious, age-appropriate meals with diverse options. The Crediting Handbook is a supplementary resource to the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs and contains additional information on creditable foods served in child and adult care centers.
The Crediting Handbook covers important topics such as:
- Meal pattern requirements in an easy-to-read format
- Meal components with detailed information to help identify creditable foods
- Definitions and explanations to aid with understanding of terminology
- Crediting in Action which provides examples of how to determine meal component contributions
- Resources section which lists additional resources for CACFP operators
Download the Spanish translation of the Crediting Handbook for your Spanish-speaking CACFP operators today!
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The Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) has many free resources available to Sponsors of Child Nutrition Programs. Check out some of the resources below:
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Back To School Toolbox: This page includes a video checklist and a PDF checklist guide to opening your kitchen after a break and lots more resources!
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Monthly Meal Time Memos: This monthly memo provides helpful tips on running a Child Nutrition Program and credited recipes. The August 2023 Meal Time Memo focuses on food safety. You can also subscribe to this newsletter.
- Attend Free Webinars: Looking for more training opportunities for yourself or your staff? ICN has you covered! Here are some available sessions: Register here.
- Mon, September 25, 2023: Keeping Food Safe
- Mon, October 16, 2023: Food Safety in Child Care
- Mon, November 13, 2023: Basic Culinary Math
- Mon, December 4, 2023: Financial Management for Managers
Looking for a makeover by adding some color and visual interest?
The following links have posters, signage and promotional materials available at no charge.
USDA Team Nutrition offers a variety of posters, stickers, signage and graphics. All can be downloaded at no charge. Several posters and flyers that can be mailed free of charge directly to Team Nutrition programs! A full list of these resources can be viewed here.
Some of the items available include:
Team Nutrition Middle School Posters: This series of four posters are designed to empower middle school-aged students to make healthy food choices.
Team Nutrition Elementary School Posters: This series of four healthy message are geared towards elementary school-aged students.
Dig In Poster Series: This series of six posters are designed to motivate students to choose more fruits and vegetables at meals and as snacks.
MyPlate for Kids: Make Half Your Plate Fruits and Vegetables Poster: Provides guidance to children on how to fill their plate with half fruits and vegetables.
MyPlate Posters: featuring the MyPlate Icon in four different colors.
Today’s Lunch E-Poster: This is designed to display daily lunch menu options .The fillable pdf file can be used for electronic message boards, webpages, and social media or can be printed and displayed in sign holders.
Taste Event Resources: A series of age appropriate posters, stickers, signage and evaluation tools for taste test events.
Food Hero Bulletin Board Toolkits: The toolkit of materials is designed for pre-k up to 2nd grade children. These tools will help in designing engaging cafeteria bulletin boards.
The Lunch Box: Salad Bar Posters, Signage and Promotional Materials – the Lunch Box offers several customizable downloadable resources for school salad bars including posters, tent signs, stickers and collectable salad bar cards.
Oregon Harvest for Schools: Over 40 posters featuring Oregon grown products from Apples to Yogurt are available for download in English and Spanish along with promotional materials. Some printed posters and newsletters are available for order. Complete this form to order materials.
Looking for resources to promote your afterschool program? No Kid Hungry has an Afterschool Meals Outreach Toolkit that includes sample language, ready-to-use graphics, and customizable templates for all types of outreach.
Registration for the 2024 National Child Nutrition Conference will open in November, so this is the perfect time to plan ahead and budget out your trip to Orlando. This conference is run by the National CACFP Sponsors Association and attendance at this conference may be considered an allowable expense.
If you are planning to attend this conference, refer to the conference website for costs and planning information. Sponsors who want to use CACFP funds to cover this cost must get specific prior written approval from ODE CNP and this cost must be included in their approved annual CACFP budget. For questions on budget requirements, reach out to ODE.CommunityNutrition@ode.oregon.gov.
 Meghan Tschida, Community Team Manager
Deanna (DeDe) Poynor, Team Lead
Cathy Brock, Child Nutrition Specialist, Summer Food Service Program Outreach Coordinator
Natalie Bratton, Child Nutrition Specialist
Sarah English, Child Nutrition Specialist
Eliza Kondo, Child Nutrition Specialist
Darcy Miller, Child Nutrition Specialist
Kaitlin Skreen, Child Nutrition Specialist
Shannon Smith, Child Nutrition Specialist
Shirley Wu, Child Nutrition Specialist
Teresa Murray, Fiscal & Audit Analyst
Emma Ahern, Program Analyst 1
Ashlie Berry, Program Analyst 1
Community Nutrition E-mail box
Visit us on the web ODE CACFP
Upcoming CACFP Newsletters will be distributed around the first week of each month.
Subscribe to this newsletter: CACFP Newsletter Subscription
For previous ODE CNP CACFP newsletters, check out the ODE CNP CACFP Memo page.
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 USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: Filing a Program Complaint as a USDA Customer webpage, 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 Complaint form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
- mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
- fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
- email:
program.intake@usda.gov
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