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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released SP25, CACFP14, SFSP14-2020: Questions and Answers Relating to the Nationwide Waiver to Allow Summer Food Service Program and Seamless Summer Option Operations through December 2020.
This memo reviews common questions for Child Nutrition Program operations in fall 2020. Please review the full policy memo for more details.
Questions? Please contact your OSPI CNS Program Specialist.
CNS met with the CACFP Operations During COVID Workgroup to gather best practices, discuss resources, and discover what tools OSPI CNS could share with CACFP sponsors to help during this time.
Weekly Call Updates
Thanks to your feedback, we will be switching our calls to be held every other week. Please join us every other Thursday through the end of October! We adjusted this meeting and everyone who has registered should have received an email via Zoom.
There will be no call this week - See you on 9/24!
Register Here
Date: Every Other Thursday through October 29, 2020
Time: 10 am - 12 pm PT
The first part of our meetings will be OSPI CNS and partners sharing information followed by Q&A.
Please hold a space on your calendar on Thursdays from 10 am - 12 pm PT. Reminder emails with your link to log into the session are sent 1 hour before the session starts.
Weekly follow up emails with a copy of the slides are sent to everyone registered for the session, even if they did not attend. We will not be posting recordings to the CNS webpages due to rapidly changing information .
Please keep an eye out in your inbox for these emails, if you do not see them in your inbox please check your SPAM box.
New USDA Guidance on At-Risk Meals
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released SP25, CACFP14, SFSP14-2020: Questions and Answers Relating to the Nationwide Waiver to Allow Summer Food Service Program and Seamless Summer Option Operations through December 2020.
Question #2 clarifies that Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) At- Risk programs may operate at the same time as SFSP programs.
- Children should not exceed the number of meals allowable for each program.
- At Risk programs should coordinate with Schools on what meals are served and when.
- At Risk meals can only be distributed after the school day has ended.
Eligibility for FY21
CACFP At-Risk sponsors meeting program requirements can establish eligibility at sites when it falls in the attendance area of a school that has at least 50% of their students eligible for Free and Reduced-Price meals using current October building data.
New this year, At Risk Programs may establish area eligibility by using building data from any of the past 12 months. If a month other than October is used, sponsors will need to upload documentation into the site application “documents” section. Documentation could include eligibility data provided by email correspondence or a documented conversation with the school district representative.
Reminders:
Sponsors interested in operating At Risk Afterschool Meals have important steps to take for this fall. Last week, we sent out important reminders regarding the operation of this program.
- Interested sponsors must complete the At Risk Pre-Qualification Survey. This survey will help interested organizations determine if they are eligible to participate in the CACFP At Risk program in the upcoming year.
- At Risk Meals Recorded Webinar: If you were unable to join OSPI CNS for the CACFP Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic Weekly Call last Thursday, we discussed important information regarding At-Risk programs. View the recording here.
- Annual Training for Community At-Risk Sponsors: At Risk Afterschool Meals Program Sponsors must attend Annual Training specific to this program.
Join Washington state Farm to ECE leaders for a training on how to incorporate Farm to ECE strategies into your care setting. This training will share strategies for buying local foods, incorporating nutrition education and garden education into your program, and starting a preschool garden.
Register Here
Date: Saturday, October 24, 2020
Time: 9:00 am - 3:30 pm PT
Important Reminders
- You must submit your WINS application AND if you are doing a meal service that is different than your regular operation or taking advantage of any waivers you must also complete a Meal Distribution Plan for your renewal application to be considered complete.
- If you are applying for At-Risk after school programs, you must complete the At-Risk-Prequalification-Survey-FY21.
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IRS Documentation Upload
Nonprofit, tax exempt sponsors will need to upload proof of their 501 ( C ) 3 status into the Sponsor Application during renewal this year. Be prepared to upload the determination letter you received from The Internal Revenue Service that states your organization has been granted non-profit status.
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Sponsors Who Contract Meals
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USDA requires CACFP sponsors to report names and birthdates for Responsible Principals. This information must be submitted in WINS and is used to check the National Disqualified List.
- CACFP At-Risk Eligibility
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CACFP At-Risk sponsors meeting program requirements can establish eligibility at sites when it falls in the attendance area of a school that has at least 50% of their students eligible for Free and Reduced-Price meals using current October building data.
OSPI CNS is allowing At-Risk Programs to establish eligibility using current building data from any of the past 12 months, not just October for program year 2021. If a month other than October is used to establish eligibility, sponsors will need to upload school building data verification documentation into the site application “documents” section. OSPI only publishes school building data for the month of October, so this verification could include email correspondence or a documented conversation with the school district representative
Have Questions? Please contact your program specialist.
Due to some technical difficulties experienced last week by DSHS office staff, families may still apply for P-EBT benefits by phone.
Families that have not yet applied for the P-EBT benefits available for last spring’s school closure can call 877-501-2233 through Wednesday, September 16 at 3 pm to apply.
If a student was eligible for free or reduced-price meals sometime between last March and June and they were enrolled in a K-12 school where they had access to meals through the National School Lunch Program, they are eligible for P-EBT.
Please share this information with the families you serve.
Child Care Centers, Family Day Care Home Sponsors, and At-Risk Program Community Sponsors
If you did not attend the live annual training session on on 8/19/2020, you may watch the recorded session to meet training requirements for CACFP.
During this webinar, we cover USDA program updates, hot topics, Civil Rights, and more! IMPORTANT UPDATE: During the live training session we provided inaccurate information regarding the definition of race and have corrected this in the recorded training.
The Recorded FY 21 Annual Updates Training is now available!
We have created a handout with detailed instructions on accessing the training and getting credit for participation.
To get started you must create a Moodle Account to view this training if you do not have one already.
STARS Credits
Those who watch the recorded Annual Training and input their STARS ID by 9/30/2020 are eligible for STARS credits. OSPI CNS will input your credits by October 31, 2020. Please check for your credit after this date.
Annual Training Requirements
Annual Training is required for continued participation in Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). At a minimum, the person responsible for oversight of the CACFP must participate in annual training. This training is intended for directors and administrators, and monitors are encouraged to participate. At a minimum, the person responsible for oversight of the CACFP must attend. This training is intended for directors and administrators. Monitors are encouraged to attend.
This training is mandatory; the FY2021 renewal agreement will not be approved until the appropriate person has attended training.
Questions? Please contact your program specialist.
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Adult Care Center Sponsors
Annual Training is required for continued participation in Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). At a minimum, the person responsible for oversight of the CACFP must participate in annual training. This training is intended for directors and administrators, and monitors are encouraged to participate. At a minimum, the person responsible for oversight of the CACFP must attend. This training is intended for directors and administrators. Monitors are encouraged to attend.
This training is mandatory; the FY2021 renewal agreement will not be approved until the appropriate person has attended training.
Virtual Training - Emailed
The recorded training is now available! We directly emailed all Adult Care Center sponsor contacts with a link to the training. We encourage you to watch this recorded training before beginning your renewal in WINS, as it contains important details.
Participation is recorded when you register for the training and OSPI CNS is notified when you complete the session. There will be no certificate or confirmation email sent for your participation in the training.
Those who watch the recorded Annual Training and register with their STARS ID are eligible for STARS credits until 9/30/2020.
Have questions? Please email Megan Harlan, Program Specialist.
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There are many different options when serving 3-5 year olds in the school district. But which program should you operate? What considerations are there?
New Resources Available!
We hope these help you when making decisions to serve children in your district settings.
Have Questions? Please contact your program specialist.
The ICN’s September STAR webinar will be done in conjunction with the USDA Office of Food Safety in celebration of National Food Safety month. The webinar will highlight a bird’s eye view of your food safety plan from beginning to end, as we aim to mitigate risks throughout the flow of food from purchasing to serving to transporting and traceability.
Register Here
Date: Thursday, September 17, 2020
Time: 12 - 1 pm PT
Learning Objectives
- Identify foodborne pathogens commonly associated with retail foodservice operations
- Describe three critical food safety practices used throughout the flow of food to mitigate foodborne disease
- Identify safe transporting methods and documentation procedures
- Apply recommended traceability systems necessary to conduct a product recall
- And explain answers to frequently asked questions from previous USDA Office of Food Safety webinars.
CACFP Meal Pattern Training Worksheets available in English and Spanish These worksheets are now available for download in English and Spanish from the Team Nutrition website:
Earn up to 7 hours of Continuing Education Credits!
The National CACFP Sponsors Association is hosting the Child Nutrition Saturday Summit on October 3, 2020!
Registration is $49 - Register Today!
This summit will review several key topics:
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Planning Menus & Recipes During COVID Shortages
Menus require planning and forecasting as well as recipe and menu development. Create safe menus while facing pandemic shortages by seeing how popular foods can be versatile and support your program.
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Prep to Plate: CACFP Portion Sizes
CACFP portioning can be confusing on paper, and in practice many more questions come up. See correct portion sizes illustrated and get answers to common real-world portioning and service questions. Get tips for the kitchen and find out what tools help compliance and reduce food waste.CN Labels & Product
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Formulation Statements: Hands-on Practice
When should you request a CN Label or PFS? Is the crediting documentation for your product acceptable? Get clarity on common issues related to inaccurate or misleading product documentation. USDA will provide guidance on accepting documentation for meal pattern requirements and share sample Product Formulation Statements and CN Labels. Learn how to assess crediting documentation using sample CN Labels and Product Formulation Statements.
- And More!
Sharing your farm to school story is an important strategy for growing awareness and building support for the farm to school movement. Include farm to school messages in a variety of communications - social media, newsletter, website, blog, school meal menus, school mobile apps, etc. - so everyone in your community can learn about farm to school.
Resources
The Farm to School Month Webpage has tools to help you celebrate all month long! Check out the webpage for:
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#F2SMonth Celebration Toolkit
- Celebration ideas
- Social Media post examples
- Customizable newsletter article
- Media Pitches best practices
- Farm to School Month Fact Sheet
- Posters
- Logos to share on social media
- Postcards, stickers, coloring pages, and more!
Share With Us!
We look forward to seeing your celebrations! Use #OSPIChildNutrition and #F2SMonth or #farmtoschool on all your social media posts and join the conversation!
Want to be featured in a CNS Highlight? Send pictures and stories of your celebrations to Samantha Brueske!
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September 15
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August Claims Due in WINS
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September 17
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Weekly CACFP Operations During COVID Webinar CANCELLED
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September 17
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Food Safety from Beginning to End Webinar | Register Here! 12 - 1pm PT
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September 24
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Weekly CACFP Operations During COVID Webinar - Register Here
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September 29
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Last day to submit your July claims! 60-Day Claim Deadline
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September 30
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Renewal Due - Make sure to complete your Application, MDP, and Training Requirements!
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