Washington Integrated Nutrition System (WINS) information and Meal Distribution Plans must be updated to accurately reflect how, when, and where meals are served.
Meal service locations and operations often change throughout the summer. As a reminder, meals served at unapproved sites or outside of the approved meal service schedules may be disallowed from the claim for reimbursement.
Meal Service Changes
- If the meal distribution method or waiver use changes, submit a new Meal Distribution Plan to reflect the changes.
- If meal times or dates change, ensure your WINS site calendar is updated prior to the change in operation. Meals are only eligible for reimbursement when served during the State Agency approved dates and times per 7 CFR 225.16. Calendar revisions must be approved prior to meal service.
Adding or Removing Sites
- For new sites, submit a site application and calendar, as well as update the budget to include the site’s projected operating costs. Email your program specialist if the site needs to be added to WINS.
- Site applications and calendars for new sites must be submitted prior to beginning meal service.
- For sites that will stop operations, revise the site calendar with the last meal service date.
Questions? Contact your OSPI CNS Program Specialist or email the Summer Meals inbox.
More than a year ago, you, along with the rest of the world, experienced an unprecedented change in nearly every facet of your personal and professional life. Among the many adjustments to your home life, schools shifted from in-person to remote learning and from cafeteria service to grab and go meals.
School staff, child care employees, and community organizations collaborated as the need for meals rose across the state. Your heroic efforts resulted in over 100 million meals served to kids since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We are excited to honor your efforts to feed children and students in your community this summer and to celebrate Summer Meals Week (July 19–23) alongside you.
You've gone the extra mile over the past 16 months and have not only persisted against the many challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic but have continued to adjust to the needs of your community in remarkable ways.
As we celebrate Summer Meals Week, we celebrate you! We appreciate that you have championed summer meals in your communities and that you have dedicated yourself to working this summer to ensure that children continue to have access to free summer meals.
As part of your continued efforts we have nearly 50 new summer program sponsors this year, and over 200 more meals sites for children to access meals this summer.
Thank you for going above your call of duty and for creating an environment of food security. Thank you for communicating with your administrators, your program specialists, and families beyond your normal working hours. Thank you for your empathy, leadership, and perseverance.
We see you and salute your selflessness. We can't thank you enough!
It has come to our attention that some companies have informed Child Nutrition Program sponsors in some locations across the nation that “due to labor shortages and warehouse capacity,” the companies are unable to serve sponsors in the upcoming program year. We are not aware of widespread challenges across the state of Washington.
As a reminder sponsors may use the authority found in federal procurement regulation 2 CFR 200.320(c)(3). This regulation allows sponsors to use the emergency noncompetitive procurement method to negotiate a new one-year contract for the 2021–22 program year. The situation described above is an appropriate time to use this provision as it is always available to sponsors if they determine that current emergency circumstances exist.
Questions? Please email the CNS Procurement inbox.
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) provides healthy meals to all children ages 18 & under, and students ages 21 and under enrolled in a Washington school district.
SFSP sponsors must promote meal access to all children. This includes providing accommodations for children with disabilities who have special dietary needs.
Often times accommodations can be made within the meal pattern requirements. If this is the case, a medical statement is not required. Examples of this may include modifying the texture of meals (pureed, chopped, etc.) and substituting food items from the same component.
Potential Substitutions
Gluten Free Grains
- Corn Products, such as tortillas, tortilla chips, popcorn, corn-based cereals
- Rice Products, such as rice crackers, enriched white or brown rice, rice cereals
- Oat Products, such as gluten-free oatmeal or oat-based granola bars
Milk Alternatives*
- Lactose-free milk
- Lactose-reduced milk
*Please note that approved milk substitutes are not creditable in SFSP without a note signed by a state-recognized medical authority.
Meat Alternates
- Yogurt, flavored or unflavored and nonfat, low-fat, or whole
- Cheese, such as cheddar, mozzarella, American, or Swiss
- Beans or Peas, such as black beans, refried beans, chickpeas, or hummus
- Nuts/Seeds*, such as almonds, cashews, or sunflower seeds
- Nut/Seed Butters, such as almond butter, peanut butter, or sunflower butter
- Eggs
*Please note that Nuts/Seeds may only comprise 50% of the M/MA component at lunch/supper.
Substitutions Outside the Meal Pattern
If an accommodation cannot be made within the meal pattern requirements, a statement signed by a state-recognized medical authority would need to be submitted. The statement must detail:
- Food(s) to be avoided
- How the food impacts the participant
- Food(s) to be substituted
OSPI has developed the Special Dietary Accommodations Form, available in both English & Spanish, as a resource. When supported by a signature from a state-recognized medical authority, meal modifications that do not meet meal pattern requirements can be claimed for reimbursement.
Resources on Special Dietary Accommodations
Questions? Please email the Summer Meals inbox.
Promoting Summer Meal Sites in Washington State
This summer, OSPI will be promoting SFSP meal sites through No Kid Hungry and the USDA Summer Meals4Kids Site Finder. You can use these tools to promote summer meal sites in your communities.
- USDA Resources
- Families can call 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479)
- For Spanish, families can call 1-877-8-HAMBRE (1-877-842-6273)
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Summer Meals Locator- Promote this tool in English or Spanish.
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USDA National Hunger Hotline- can be reached Monday–Friday
- No Kid Hungry Resources
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Texting Line - Families may text "Food" or "Comida" to 877-877 to find free summer meals near them.
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Meal Site Locator - Promote the NKH Meal Site Finder.
Information About Uploads
- OSPI reports meal times and locations of all OPEN sites.
- Keep your Site Applications and Site Calendars up to date.
- Updates are sent weekly to USDA.
Questions? Please contact your OSPI CNS Program Specialist.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has granted OSPI Child Nutrition Services’ request to waive SY 20–21 Administrative Review Requirements.
OSPI must continue to conduct oversight and provide technical assistance to ensure program integrity, one of these activities includes off-site technical assistance (TA) visits.
Why TA Visits?
The purpose of the TA visit is to support sponsors with program operations and waiver implementation. Visits will be conducted through a Zoom meeting and should not take more than two hours.
There will be no corrective action or fiscal action associated with these visits. Visits will result in specialist recommendations and the sharing of resources and best practices. However, claim revisions may be required if meal counting and claiming issues are identified.
In addition to the Zoom meeting, OSPI may also conduct unannounced site visits to ensure compliance with meal service requirements and program regulations.
A risk-based approach was used to identify sponsors for these TA visits. Risk factors include:
- Complexity of Meal Distribution Plan
- Significant findings or fiscal action from previous reviews
- New Sponsors
- Significant % Change in Meals Served
Not all sponsors will receive a TA visit. Program Specialists will contact the identified sponsors in the next few weeks to schedule your visit. We appreciate the dedication of each sponsor as they continue to provide the children of Washington state with nutritious meals during this unprecedented time.
Questions? Contact your OSPI CNS Program Specialist.
Are your meals appetizing, appealing, and nutritious? The USDA wants to recognize you!
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Turnip the Beet award recognizes outstanding summer meal program sponsors across the country who work to offer high quality meals to children that are appetizing, appealing, and nutritious.
Applications must be submitted to OSPI by August 4, 2021.
Eligibility Criteria
- Nominees must be a SFSP or SSO sponsor in good standing.
- Must operate between May 15 & September 15, 2021.
- Menus must feature appetizing, appealing, and nutritious meals that meet meal pattern requirements.
- Additional menu criteria include the following. Sponsors earn 2 points for each criteria met.
- Service of locally grown foods at least once a week per meal type
- Menu includes one hot food item per week per meal type
- Entrees repeat less than two times a month per meal type
- Minimum of different fruits vegetables offered each week per meal type
- Fresh produce primarily served
- Juice limited to two times per meal type per week
- At least 50% grains are whole grain-rich
- Sweet Grains limited to two times per meal type per week
- Only low-fat or non-fat milk is offered
- Availability of Water
- Bonus points may be earned if stricter criteria are met.
Application Information
Submit your nomination form & menu to the Summer Meals inbox.
The Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) is the only federally funded national center dedicated to applied research, education and training, and technical assistance for child nutrition programs.
Free Training for You and Your Staff Using iLearn!
The ICN's updated online learning portal, iLearn, provides self-paced, free online learning and offers users the flexibility to complete courses in multiple sessions. The iLearn portal can be used on desktop, laptop, or mobile devices.
View the course catalog today!
ICN added new features that enhance the eLearning experience, including:
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Personalized Profiles: Users can select English or Spanish and their Child Nutrition Program to complete their personalized profile.
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Online Courses in Spanish: iLearn includes ICN’s first Spanish online course, Nutrición 101 4ta Edicion. Users can also select Español in their profile for a translated online experience.
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iLearn @ ICN Mobile App: Child Nutrition Professionals can download the app and iLearn @ ICN on the go!
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Coming Soon - Live Webinars! Child Nutrition Professionals can register and attend ICN's scheduled live webinars on iLearn and keep all information and certificates in one location.
Questions? Please contact the ICN Support Team.
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Thanks to all who participated in Farm to Summer Week!
We’ll be highlighting a few of this year’s Farm to Summer Week participants and their efforts in the weeks to come.
This week, our spotlight is on Pullman School District which served not one, but two local food items during Farm to Summer Week! Their menu featured “succulent sweet cherries” and “delicious zucchini squash” from farms in Clarkston and their very own Pullman. Their twitter post did an excellent job featuring the local food items as well as the farms they came from.
Great job, Pullman SD!
 We loved seeing your posts and hearing about your Farm to Summer Week activities. Your efforts did not go unnoticed! Kudos to the following SFSP sponsors for your participation in this year’s Farm to Summer Week!
- Bellevue School District
- Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound
- Cheney School District
- The Episcopal Diocese of Spokane
- Highline Schools
- Pullman School District
- Shoreline Public School District 412
- Spokane Public Schools
- West Valley School District 208
WA Farm to Summer Week may be over, but your Farm to Summer programming doesn’t have to be! Consider how you might continue to serve local foods as part of your SFSP meal and provide food-related enrichment activities.
Questions? Please email Kendra Vandree.
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July 19–23
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Summer Meals Week!
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July 30
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May Claim 60-day Deadline - if you haven't already, submit your claim
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August 15
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July Claim Due in WINS
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