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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released SP 05, CACFP 04, SFSP 04-2021 – Questions and Answers to Allow Summer Food Service Program and Seamless Summer Option Operations School Year 2021-2021 – Q&As #4.
Paycheck Protection Program Information
- Q10: May CNP operations that have received a loan though the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) use SFSP or CACFP Program Funds received from the State (from claim reimbursement) to pay back a PPP?
- Answer: Congress authorized the PPP through the CARES Act and Consolidated Appropriation Act, 2021 to help businesses facing extenuating circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic to cover payroll expenses. Some sponsors have used PPP funds to pay for CNP labor expenses. Under some circumstances, a PPP loan may be forgiven.
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If the PPP loan is forgiven: Any CNP expenses paid for using those forgiven PPP funds may not be claimed using CNP funds since they have already been paid with another source of Federal funding.
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If the PPP loan is not forgiven: CNP funds may only be used to repay that portion of the loan which was used to cover allowable Child Nutrition Program expenses, such as foodservice labor.
IMPORTANT
Interest due in connection with a PPP or other loan repayment is not an allowable cost and many not be paid using Federal CNP funds.
Questions? Please contact your program specialist.
Monthly claims are due by the 15th of each month following the claim period. All claims entered in WINS and in OK to Pay status will process for payment at the end of the month. Here are some important reminders about claiming in the Washington Integrated Nutrition System (WINS):
General Claiming Reminders
- Monthly claim data must be in "OK to Pay" status by 5:00 pm PT on the 15th.
- WINS will automatically log all users out of the system on the 15th of each month at EXACTLY 5pm PT.
- Ensure to give yourself enough time to input all claiming data so the claim is in “OK to Pay” status.
- Once WINS closes down the claiming option users are not allowed to input claim data until after the monthly claim reconciliation process is complete. This can take up to two business days.
- Didn't submit your claim by the 15th? That's okay! File your monthly claim by the 60-day deadline.
- Example: The December 60-day claim deadline is March 1, 2021.
- Claim reimbursements that are not entered into WINS or not in OK to pay status will NOT process for payment by the end of the month.
- The 20-21 Claim Processing Dates Information Sheet takes weekends and holidays into consideration for the 60-day deadlines. You may want to print or bookmark this information.
- Refer to the Claims Reference Sheet for details on what to do if you don't submit your claims by the 60-day claim deadline.
- Errors must be resolved for claims to be paid. WINS has multiple edit checks to help resolve issues before your claim is submitted.
- Review the Claiming Error Messages in WINS Information Sheet for more details on possible errors.
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Common Errors
- 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.
- Pro-Tip: Always select “Preview Errors” at the bottom of each site claim once information is entered.
Please review last month's claims reminder for additional claiming resources.
Have Questions? Please contact Hydie Kidd, Fiscal Supervisor, or Pam Fravel, Fiscal Analyst.
The Washington Retail Food Code has been revised and there are a few key changes to keep an eye out for in the next two years. Some of these key changes are listed below. You can visit the Department of Health website for more details on the updated requirements.
Effective January 15, 2021
- “Potentially Hazardous Foods” changed to “Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food”
Effective March 1, 2022
- Date marking for 7-day shelf life of unpackaged refrigerated soft cheeses and deli meats
- Written procedures must be documented for vomit and diarrhea clean-up
- New language expanding the allowability of share tables state-wide when approved food safety plan is in place
- Cooking temperatures for poultry and ground meat
- At least one person overseeing food service sites must receive and maintain Food Protection Manager certification and train all other persons in charge on food safety requirements
Questions? Please email Bianca Smith.
New for 2021! Each month we will share information relating to your operation of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). These articles will highlight important 'hot topics' that are meant to inform and grow your knowledge base about this program.
Some topics to look forward to:
- The Story of CACFP - Discover the origins of CACFP.
- Financial Viability - A review of financial requirements and keeping your budget up-to-date.
- Ethics in the CACFP - Implementing ethical practices in your program.
- Where Are we Now? - Join us for a reflection of this past year.
Have a topic you'd like to see? Email your program specialist to let us know!
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The Consolidated Appropriations and COVID Stimulus and Relief Bill Section 722 includes support for Child Care Centers and Family Day Care Home providers and sponsors.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will release information on how this will be administered. We will share information as soon as it becomes available.
Keep an eye out for future CNS Newsletters.
Join us for the CACFP Updates Webinar - Looking Ahead for 2021
Register Here
Date: Tuesday, January 26, 2021
Time: 1 - 2pm PT
During this webinar we will discuss:
- COVID Stimulus Relief Bill
- Ounce Equivalents
- Program Updates
- Q&A - please come with your questions!
Questions? Please contact your OSPI CNS Program Specialist.
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Washington State University and University of Washington are collecting information about food access during the pandemic.
The data has the ability to influence resource allocation, so we strongly encourage you to share this survey with the families you serve.
The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete and will ask questions about health, food access, and economic needs.
The goal is to learn more about how individuals, families, and communities are handling economic and food disruptions due to the pandemic. Washington State residents who are 18 years or older may participate.
Families can access the survey here.
Do you train staff? If so, then this training series is for you!
Child Nutrition Services (CNS) invited the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) to conduct several trainings over the coming year. The first training set is designed for trainers. Each session is a separate training, but works well if you take both.
These trainings will be offered again later this year if you cannot attend the January training dates.
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Foundations for Training Excellence: Basics - This training focuses on how to design and deliver effective training.
Register Here*
Date: Thursday, January 28, 2021
Time: 12 - 4pm PT
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Training Culturally Diverse Groups - This training is designed to help you develop your skills to effectively deliver trainings to culturally diverse groups.
Register Here*
Date: Friday, January 29, 2021
Time: 12 - 4pm PT
IMPORTANT: Each participant must have a separate email to register and must sign in using their personal Zoom access link.
After you register, OSPI will approve your request to join the training. Please expect a follow up email with the Zoom registration link at least 1 week before training begins.
There is a limit of 25 participants for the session. If we have reached the maximum number of participants, you will automatically be added to the waitlist.
Certificates of participation will be provided for those who attend the entire training session. This training may be eligible for STARS Credits. Please follow DCYF instructions on submitting training certificates for in-service hours.
*Note: You may have to register for an EDS account if you do not have one currently.
Have Questions? Please email Samantha Brueske, Training and Communications Specialist.
Grains are an important part of meals in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Starting October 1, 2021, all program operators will be required to use ounce equivalents (oz. eq.) when menu planning. Now is a great time to start learning about what they are and how to use them!
More About Grains and Oz. Eq.
To make sure children and adults get enough grains at CACFP meals and snacks, minimum required amounts for grains are listed in the meal pattern as ounce equivalents (oz eq). Ounce equivalents tell you the amount of grain in a portion of food.
Resources
The USDA Team Nutrition CACFP Grains Ounce Equivalents Resources webpage has training tools, worksheets, webinars, and more to help you with this change! Some tools include:
- Grains Measuring Chart
- Crediting Single-Serving Packages of Grains
- Feeding Infants Using Ounce Equivalents for Grains
- Determining Ounce Equivalents of Grains in CACFP Recipes
- Calculating Ounce Equivalents for Grains
Questions? Please contact your program specialist.
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January 15
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December Claims Due in WINS
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January 26
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CACFP Legislation Webinar - Register Here
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January 29
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November Claim 60-day Deadline - if you haven't already, submit your November Claims!
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