Now is the time to put in your study month numbers!
Once your application is approved you will see an "add" or "renew" button on the study month tab starting November 1, 2020. The system is designed to not accept a study month for the new year until the full month of October is complete.
Once this option becomes available, you must input your Study Month information into WINS before November 15 for October claims to be paid.
Questions? Please contact your OSPI CNS Program Specialist.
SFSP Meal delivery may be beneficial to childcare centers if school age children are now in care all day due to COVID-19. Coordination between the school district and the childcare center needs to be a formal arrangement where the childcare center is either a “site” under the school district OR the childcare center is a “stop” on a meal delivery bus route. The process listed below must be followed for either one of these scenarios:
Childcare Center is a Site SFSP Meal Distribution
Meals are dropped off at the childcare site:
- Childcare staff must be trained by School District on SFSP requirements as they pertain to their role
- Childcare staff must take “Point of Service” meal count using the SFSP meal count form
- Meal count must be submitted to the school district
- Communication about meals received, leftovers on hand, and accurate meal count forecasting must occur regularly to ensure enough meals are delivered for each child AND to reduce food waste
- The childcare center cannot claim these meals for reimbursement
Childcare Center is a “stop” on the Meal Delivery Bus Route
Meals are distributed to children individually:
- School district staff would take “Point of Service” meal count as each meal is provided to a child
- The childcare center cannot claim these meals for reimbursement
Reminders
- Childcare centers are unable to pick-up meals on behalf of the children in their care.
- Under no circumstance may children receive more than the number of reimbursable meals allowed in each Program for which they are eligible.
Questions? Please contact your CNS Program Specialist.
The October claim deadline is Sunday, November 15, 2020. Here are a few tips and tricks for ensuring your monthly claim will pay on time:
- Sponsor Application, Site Applications, Site Calendars, Budgets and Management Plans for sponsors of multiple sites must be in APPROVED status before entering claims into WINS.
- Total Attendance is entered with the claim and is the sum of children in attendance each day during the month. Meals claimed in excess of Total Attendance will result in a claim error.
- WINS edit checks the number of approved operating days for each site to the number of operating days entered in the site claim. If these numbers don’t match, the claim will go into error status.
Other Claiming Reminders
If your claim goes into error status, select “Preview Errors” to determine the cause of the error and contact your Program Specialist. Payment process is on the 15th of each month and WINS logs sponsors out promptly at 5:00 pm PT. Claims will be unavailable until the reconciliation process is complete, usually within two business days.
Additional resources on filing the monthly claim for reimbursement can be found on the Claim, Fiscal Information, and Resources webpage.
Fiscal Year 21 Applications should be completed at least 30 days before your organization intends to operate the CACFP. This allows your program specialist to review your application in time for you to file your claim.
Please review our Renewal Update for important reminders about submitting your application and training requirements.
We reviewed common questions about renewal as well as tips and tricks for the renewal process during our 10/8 CACFP Operations During COVID call. Please review the recording for more information.
Reminder
If your organization's meal service is different than your regular operation or if your organization is taking advantage of any waivers you must complete a Meal Distribution Plan for your renewal application to be considered complete.
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; monitors are encouraged to participate.
This training is mandatory; the FY2021 renewal agreement will not be approved until the appropriate person has attended training
Recorded Training
Questions? Please contact your OSPI CNS Program Specialist.
In a previous At-Risk update we reviewed requirements from USDA, details regarding eligible sites, and considerations for operating the CACFP At-Risk program.
Some Highlights
- Meal sites that are not area eligible must target meals/snacks to children in need. To meet this requirement, sites must be located in the attendance area of a public school (an elementary, middle, or high school) where at least 40% of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).
- Sponsors may submit an exemption request if there are extenuating circumstances.
Claiming Meals
- Sponsoring organizations that operate the CACFP At-Risk Afterschool Meals Component may only claim meals after the end of the instructional day if students are physically in care.
- For CACFP At-Risk afterschool care programs that are providing on-site care to children attending school virtually: Schools that are operating virtually are considered "in session". Only a meal and/or snack served after the virtual school day is over would be reimbursable.
- For CACFP At-Risk afterschool programs that are not caring for children on-site: When meals are being provided for children that are not in on-site care, at-risk suppers and or snacks may be claimed even if they are distributed before the end of the school instructional day. These meals must be marked as At-Risk meals.
Questions? Please contact your OSPI CNS Program Specialist.
Last year we transitioned to weekly CNS Newsletters to keep the number of emails to a minimum.
These program updates help keep you up-to-date on changes in your programs and share important mandatory information, as well as good to know information at the bottom of the update.
Please note: if there are urgent updates, those will still come as soon as possible in a separate email and will not wait until the following week to be sent out. Please keep your eye out!
To help you navigate the CNS Newsletter format, here are a few helpful tips:
1. Use the Table of Contents at the Beginning of the Newsletter
At the top of every newsletter there is a table of contents to give you an overview of what you MUST look at and what is "good to know" (see details below).
2. See "Update" at the Beginning?
Articles with the word Update at the beginning indicates that there is an important update in regards to State or USDA requirements. These are the articles you must review to stay in the loop about requirements.
3. If you see "Reminder" at the Beginning of the Article
Reminders are previous "updates" that are still important, but were shared in previous newsletters.
4. How about "FYI"?
If you see an article starting with FYI, this is a good-to-know. These include resources, outside trainings and opportunities, grant opportunities from partner agencies, or other good-to-know type of items.
5. Highlights
CNS Highlights are articles highlighting good practices, Food, Body, and Mind Awardees, and other items.
6. Important Dates to Remember
You will find these at the bottom of every newsletter. They will include things like claim due dates, upcoming training and webinars, and other important dates.
We hope this is helpful! If you have any questions or comments about the format, please reach out to Samantha Brueske, Training and Communications Specialist.
The National CACFP Sponsors Association (NCA) hosts FREE half-hour sessions on CACFP hot topics! You can also receive a Certificate of Attendance for attending these sessions.
Visit the NCA Shop Talk Series webpage to sign up for upcoming or previous webinars.
Recent webinars include:
- Strategies for Virtual Monitoring in the CACFP
- Farm to Table: Fresh Foods & Garden Tools
- Engaging Remote Staff
Upcoming Webinars:
The USDA Farm to School Grant Application for 2021 is now open, with proposals due January 8, 2021!
There’s a pool of up to $10 million nationwide and grants ranging from $50,000-$100,000 for planning or implementation of learning gardens, local foods in the child nutrition programs, agriculture and nutrition education, and more.
ECE and Childcare Centers
“New for FY 2021, institutions operating the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) at non-school based sites are included in the definition of eligible schools and may apply for funding.”
Webinars to Set You Up for Success
USDA’s Team Nutrition initiative is pleased to announce the release of new resources for Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) operators. All materials are available in English and in Spanish, for download and printing. Printed versions of these materials will be made available at a later date.
Please visit the CACFP training tools webpage to see Team Nutrition’s collection of resources.
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November 15
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October Claims Due in WINS
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November 30
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Last day to submit your September claims! 60-Day Claim Deadline
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