|
We sincerely appreciated all of the work you and your team put in this summer to ensure eligible families in your schools received P-EBT benefits. We are so proud of all the work you are doing to make sure Washington students receive the nutrition they need.
P-EBT 2.0 is nearing roll-out. Although we are awaiting final USDA approval, we are moving forward with implementation planning. We want to get assistance to families in need as soon as possible!
Join Us for a Webinar
Public, Private, Tribal, and Charter Schools are encouraged to join us for the P-EBT 2.0 Webinar for Districts. We will review details on what to expect and next steps.
Register Here
Date: Friday, February 12
Time: 11am - 12pm PT
Additional P-EBT 2.0 Plans
- 2/5/21- Email sent to Food Service Director
- P-EBT Contact Survey
- P-EBT District/School Information handout
- 2/12/21- Planned release date for P-EBT Bulletin
- 2/19/21- P-EBT Webinar for districts/schools
- 2/10/21- WSSDA Group P-EBT presentation
- Coming Soon- P-EBT promotional materials for families
- Promotion Materials are being created
- All materials will be translated into multiple languages
Please keep an eye out for future CNS Updates with additional information.
Monthly claims are due by the 15th of each month following the claim period. This month, the 15th lands on the President's Day holiday and OSPI staff will not be in the office.
WINS will be available to input claims until 5:00 pm PT, Monday, February 15. At 5:00pm, WINS will log sponsors out in order to prepare to run the monthly payment process. There will not be an additional business day given to make up for the holiday.
Best Practice - Submit claims early in case an error comes up and you need assistance. We will have staff available until Friday, February 12 at 5:00 pm PT.
Here are some important reminders about claiming in the Washington Integrated Nutrition System (WINS):
General Claiming Reminders
-
FSMC & Vended Sponsors – Correct your SFSP Average Daily Attendance (ADA) Before Claiming
- Meals claimed in excess of the CAP count for a site will result in a claim error. SFSP sponsors must make Average Daily Attendance (ADA) revisions prior to submitting monthly claims. Specialists must approve revisions before claims can process for payment.
- Revised ADA's will not be approved for claims that go into error status due to meals claimed over the approved CAP.
- Compare the Average Number of Meals to the approved CAP. If the Average exceeds the CAP, increase the ADA in your site calendar and email your Program Specialist.
- Here is a quick way to determine whether the ADA should be revised: Total Meals Served / Number of Operating Days = Average Number of Meals per day.
-
Working with a Food Service Management Company (FSMC) or Vendor? FSMCs and Vended Sponsors cannot be reimbursed for any meals above the 120% of the ADA. Update the ADA prior to submitting the claim for the excess meals to be reimbursed.
- 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.
- Give yourself enough time to input all claiming data, preview errors, correct errors. Completing these steps will help you ensure the claim is in “OK to Pay” status.
- At 5 pm, the claim function is closed. This means that the system does not allow access to claims until after the monthly reconciliation process is complete. This can take up to two business days.
- All claims entered in WINS and in OK to Pay status will process for payment at the end of the month.
- Didn't submit your claim by the 15th? That's okay! Submit your monthly claim by the 60-day deadline.
- Example: The January 60-day claim deadline is April 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.
- 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.
- Review the Claiming Error Messages in WINS Information Sheet for more details on possible errors.
- Pro-Tip: Always select “Preview Errors” at the bottom of each site claim once information is entered.
Please review the December claims reminder for additional claiming resources.
Have Questions? Please contact Hydie Kidd, Fiscal Supervisor, or Pam Fravel, Fiscal Analyst.
The Consolidated Appropriations and COVID Stimulus and Relief Bill passed Section 722 on December 28, 2020. This section includes funding for CNP program operators for the purpose of covering emergency operating costs incurred during the public health emergency.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released SP 06-2021, CACFP 05-2021:Child Nutrition Program Emergency Operating Costs During COVID-19: Implementation Guidance for State Agencies. This memo includes the formula for calculating benefits.
Funds are available for sponsors who experienced a significant drop in claim reimbursement in March, April, May, and June 2020 due to the pandemic.
Calculation of Funds
-
For April through June = 2019 Claim – 2020 Claim x .55%
-
For March= 2019 Claim – 2020 Claim x .55%, divided by 2
Next Steps
OSPI Child Nutrition Services must submit an implementation plan to USDA for approval before funds may be issued. Calculations will be done by Child Nutrition Services and automatically issued to sponsors. No action is required by sponsors.
Please keep an eye out for future CNS Updates for more details as they become available.
Have Questions? Please email summermeals@k12.wa.us.
The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Child Nutrition Services (CNS) released B097-20 Disclosure of Free & Reduced-Price Eligibility Information.
This bulletin provides information about sharing eligibility information according to USDA regulations and confidentiality rules. Please read the bulletin in full for more details.
Questions? Please contact your OSPI CNS Program Specialist.
Join Us For Our New Bi-Weekly Webinar Series!
During these webinars OSPI CNS will discuss hot topics, highlight important reminders, and provide an opportunity for you to ask questions.
Register Here
Dates: Every other Wednesday through 6/30/2021
Time: 2 - 3pm PT
Program operators offering the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)/ School Breakfast Program (SBP), Seamless Summer Option (SSO), and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) during the 20-21 school year are encouraged to join us for these webinars.
Reminders
-
Follow up emails will no longer be sent after the meeting. If you missed our last webinar, you can review the recording from our 1/27 meeting here.
- Save us on Your Calendar! When you register, there is an option to add us to your calendar at the bottom of the confirmation email.
- A reminder email with your link to log into the webinar is sent 1 hour before the session starts.
|
Child Nutrition Services (CNS) invited the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) to conduct several FREE trainings over the coming year. These sessions can be attended by any food services staff, and they offer Professional Standards.
There is a limit of 2 participants from each district per training. We will be offering sessions more than once so there will be more opportunities to attend later in the year.
Steps to Take
Participants register for the training using the pdEnroller platform.
-
Keep your confirmation email.
- This email is your portal to the training session and additional handouts for the training.
- Pro Tip: You can add events to your calendar via the event page, this way your Zoom access link is available from your calendar.
-
Waitlist Participants:
- PdEnroller notifies CNS of the number of interested participants and automatically creates a waitlist when the session is filled.
- If someone cancels their attendance, pdEnroller automatically notifies the next person on the waitlist and gives them an opportunity to register - keep an eye out in your emails.
IMPORTANT:
There is a limit of 25 participants for each session. Each participant must have their own pdEnroller account to register.
Trainings
-
Norovirus in Schools - This 2-hour session reviews why norovirus is a concern, symptoms, and prevention and control strategies.
Date: Thursday, February 11
Times:
Sign-Up Here for the 12-2pm session*
Sign-Up Here for the 2:30 - 4:30pm session*
-
Food Safety Basics - This session is designed to provide a basic understanding of food safety. Lessons include methods for training staff, how to prevent foodborne illness, and resources for monitoring.
Dates:
Sign-Up Here for the February 16 session*
Sign-Up Here for the March 18 session*
Time: 12 - 4pm PT
-
Food Allergies - This training includes information about food allergies, food intolerance, reading food labels, avoiding cross contact, accommodating students with food allergies, and educating the school community about food allergies. Participants will great a food allergy management plan.
Sign-Up Here*
Date: Thursday, February 25
Time: 12 - 4pm PT
-
Nutrition 101 - This 8-hour course provides a basic overview of nutrition with an emphasis on the importance of balance in daily food choices and the inclusion of physical activity.
Sign-Up Here*
Dates: Wednesday, March 3 & Thursday, March 4
Time: 12 - 4pm PT
*Note: You may have to register for a pdEnroller account to sign up for the training if you do not have one currently. You may use this link to create an account, if needed.
Have Questions? Please email Samantha Brueske, Training and Communications Specialist.
This year, the Washington School Nutrition Association (WSNA) is hosting the Industry Conference and USDA Food Show Virtually!
This conference is great for anyone who wants to learn more about Food Distribution and USDA Foods. Presentations include:
- CNS & FDP Updates
- Food Distribution 101
- Wellness Sessions
- Marketing Your Program
- And More!
You can view registration and agenda information on the WSNA Website.
March orders open Wednesday, February 3, and will close Wednesday, February 10, at 4pm.
Surplus orders will open Thursday, February 11, at 1pm for groups 1 - 3, and 2pm for all other groups. Surplus closes Friday, February 12, at 4pm.
For more information on your group number, please review the Order and Delivery Schedule.
Ordering
- To place an order - log-in to CNP Web.
- Your Food Distribution Application must be completed (including certified and submitted) before you can place an order.
- Ordering Instructions
- Reminder:
The Ordering and Receiving webpage has multiple resources to assist you in placing your ordering including; instructions, order and distribution schedule.
Important Reminders
-
Confirmation of USDA Foods If you’re scheduled to receive a USDA Foods Delivery, you should receive an appointment confirmation from the carrier. Please remember to reply to the carrier confirming receipt of appointment.
-
To update or change your delivery contact person, please complete the Delivery Updates Form.
Questions? Please email the Food Distribution Office or call 360-725-6204.
|
What is the Pre-Order Survey?
The Pre-Order Survey is an annual requirement for all participating USDA Food Distribution sponsors. The survey is your commitment of what you plan to order during the upcoming 2021-22 school year. The survey also tells OSPI Food Distribution how much and what types of foods to order through USDA for the entire 2021 School Year.
Who must complete the survey?
Local Education Agencies (LEAs) who plan to operate in SY 2021-22 must complete the Pre-Order Survey in anticipation of returning to 'traditional' operations next year.
Please complete this survey with what you forecast needing in the upcoming school year. We can cancel orders at a later date if LEAs do not need the foods, but cannot add LEAs if they do not complete the survey now.
What do you have to do?
Complete your pre-order survey as soon as possible in CNP Web Log-in ! The survey opens on February 8 and closes on February 26.
Here's some helpful tools:
Product Information Sheets
Questions on completing your survey? Email Marlon Hopkins or call 360-725-6204.
|
| February 10 |
March FDP Ordering Closes |
| February 8 |
USDA Foods Pre-Order Survey Opens in CNP |
| February 8 |
DoD Fresh Enrollment Opens - Complete your Enrollment Form |
| February 10 |
Bi-Weekly Food Service Operations for NSLP and SFSP Sponsors Webinar - Register Here
|
| February 11-12 |
March FDP Surplus Ordering Open in CNP |
| February 15 |
January Claims Due in WINS |
| February 16-17 |
WSNA Industry Conference and Food Show - Register Here
|
|
