|
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released two policy memos related to the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).
-
SP 16-2021, CACFP 14-2021: Previously Issued Questions and Answers Relating to Operation of the Child Nutrition Programs: Updated for School Year 2021–2022
- This memo includes clarifying questions and answers for state agencies and program sponsors as they operate the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Seamless Summer Option (SSO), and CACFP during SY 21–22. This guidance also updates Q&As previously released in 2020.
- Questions 2 and 24–44 are specific to CACFP sponsors.
- Questions 1 and 45–46 apply to Sponsors operating Multiple Child Nutrition Programs (School Meal Programs & CACFP).
- Questions 47–52 pertain to Civil Rights Requirements
- As detailed in question 49- Due to COVID-19, if printed "And Justice For All" (AJFA) posters are not available for display, paper copies may be substituted as necessary, including use of the 2015 AJFA poster, if new (2019) posters have not been received.
- OSPI CNS will announce distribution of new AJFA posters in a future CNS Update.
-
SP 17-2021, CACFP 15-2021, SFSP 09-2021: COVID-19 Waiver Requests Submitted Prior to December 31, 2020
- This memo provides clarification that any state agency waiver requests submitted between the beginning of the COVID-19 public health emergency and December 31, 2020 that have not received responses are now denied.
- Washington state previously submitted a waiver request to waive the 25% for-profit institution eligibility requirement, allowing them to claim during the Pandemic without meeting this requirement. Though CNS advocated for this waiver and our for-profit centers in this manner, this waiver was not granted and now is denied.
Currently, OSPI CNS has one pending waiver request to allow sponsors to conduct two monitoring visits instead of three, and would allow for all visits to be announced. Washington was approved for these allowances in FY21 through a state submitted waiver request that is set to expire on September 30, 2021. We will announce the outcome of this request in a future CNS Update.
Questions? Email your CACFP Specialist.
Lunch n’ Learn webinars are short, concise, high-level “power sessions” on specific CACFP-related topics. Most of the topics are based on sponsor suggestions and we will be presenting a different one each month from February through September!
Register Here
Date: Thursday, July 29, 2021
Time: 1:30 – 2:00 pm PT
During this webinar we will discuss:
- Who needs to complete a study month?
- Why does a study month need to be completed?
- When does a study month need to be completed?
- Where are study month resources located?
- What should be done with study month numbers?
Best practices will be discussed to ensure the study month is completed correctly. There will be time at the end of the webinar for Q&As.
Additional Study Month Information
Did You Miss a Previous Lunch 'N Learn? Watch the Recording Now!
Don’t Be Late for a Very Important Set of Dates!
The end of June starts the preparation for the next program year that begins October 1. We have made several changes to both our annual training and renewal application process to be more accommodating to you, our sponsors!
The FY21–22 Child and Adult Care Food Program Renewal Application and components opened July 7, 2021, allowing you more time to complete your renewal! The process has changed slightly, so we have created a variety of WINS reference sheets, recordings, and presentations for instant information and guidance.
In addition, the deadline for all submissions has changed to September 1, 2021.
Specialist Insider Tips for Annual Training
Who, What, Where, and When? We encourage you to figure out the plan that works best for you to complete annual training. Use all the information provided in our weekly CNS updates (sign up here if you don’t get them!) for more information on the four W’s!
-
Who should attend? Each annual training session requires 1 if not 2 attendees from your organization and is meant for specific roles.
-
When should I complete it? Split it up over time or complete it all in a few days, there are various options for you to be successful.
-
Where should I access the annual trainings? Make sure you complete these somewhere with a strong internet connection and install or update computer applications, like Zoom, for less technical difficulties during your training.
-
When should I complete all these required trainings? Some recordings are already available! Waiting until the last minute will make the whole process that much more difficult for you to meet deadlines. So start early! With COVID, there is a plethora of information to share to ensure program integrity is maintained and help make meal service to your kiddo/adult participants a smooth and easy process.
The Annual Updates Recording is now available! For more information about Annual Training requirements and how to get your certificates, please review the 7/12 Annual Training Update.
Specialist Insider Tips for Completing Renewal
-
Bring your annual training and renewal questions to your specialist’s monthly office hours! Come and ask questions about the process and hear from other sponsors as well. They could have thought of a question you hadn’t. Teamwork makes the dream work! 😊
-
The newly created renewal resources will be the best, fastest, and easiest way to get the information you need to complete renewal at your pace and time. Please review the 7/12 Renewal Article for links to these resources.
-
It is all in the planning! Looking at these materials early on after annual training, reviewing all the application components in WINS, and ensuring you have a plan for completion is essential.
As always, feel free to email your program specialist with any specific questions or concerns you have. We are here for you!
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.
CACFP specialists are hosting office hours in the coming months. These meetings may be conducted as facilitated discussions highlighting several topic areas, or as a platform for Questions & Answers and open dialogue.
Office hours are meant to be a safe space to learn more about CACFP operations from discussion topics or from the questions other sponsors bring forward. You are welcome to bring your questions or just plan to listen in.
Register to attend an upcoming session!
- Nicki Christoferson – Open Q and A
July 30, 2:30–3:30 pm
- Kendra Vandree – Open Q and A
August 10, 2–3 pm
- Tina Bischoff – Open Q and A
August 10, 2:30–4:30 pm
- Megan Harlan – Open Q and A
August 16, 1–2 pm
- Jeannette Green – Open Q and A
August 17, 1–2 pm
- Molly Gleason – Whole Grain-Rich
August 19, 12:30–1:30 pm
- Jessica Condron – Open Q and A
August 23, 10–11 am
- Terri Adolfson – Grains
August 30, 2:00–3:30 pm
|
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 we're offering STARS credit for those who participate in the live session!
There is a limit of 2 participants from each center per training.
Trainings
-
Infant Meal Pattern Requirements- This training reviews requirements for serving infants in the CACFP, including: changes to the updated infant meal pattern charts and requirements for serving breastmilk and infant formula, strategies that support infants and their developmental readiness for solid foods, and requirements for serving more nutritious solid foods to infants.
Register Here
Date: Wednesday, September 8
Time: 12–4 pm PT
-
CACFP Meal Pattern and Best Practices- Participants will explore the updates to the child and adult meal patterns, as well as tips and strategies for implementation. Each training session is 7-hours long, and will be spread out over 2 days for maximum effectiveness. Review this training overview for more details.
Register Here
Date: Monday, September 27 & Tuesday, September 28
Time: 12–4 pm PT
Registration Information
Participants register for the training using the pdEnroller platform.
-
Each participant must have their own 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.
- Make sure to edit your profile to include your STARS ID to make getting your STARS credits easier!
- 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.
- Can't Attend?
- Log into your account.
- Select your name in the upper right hand corner.
- Click on 'My Events'.
- Upcoming events appear at the top of your screen, you should see the class and a 'Cancel Registration' button.
- You can cancel your registration at any time using pdEnroller.
- 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:
- The ICN requires a minimum of 15 registrants per session to conduct the training. If there are not a minimum of 15 registrants, the training will be canceled.
- There is a limit of 25 participants for each session.
Have Questions? Please email Samantha Brueske, Training and Communications Specialist.
USDA’s Team Nutrition initiative recently announced the release of the “How to Maximize the Exhibit A Grains Tool” English webinar with captions in Spanish.
This webinar demonstrates enhancements to the Exhibit A Grains Tool, which is a feature included with the Food Buying Guide (FBG) for Child Nutrition Programs Interactive Web-Based Tool and FBG Mobile App. The Exhibit A Grains Tool allows a user to search for a grain product (as listed on Exhibit A) and enter in the serving size from the product label. The tool then helps the user determine:
- Ounce equivalent (oz eq) grains or grains/bread serving(s) for the grain product,
- Amount to serve to provide a desired grains contribution, and
- Amount to serve for a grain product in the order to meet the minimum grains requirement by age/grade groups for specific Child Nutrition Programs.
The webinar can be viewed and downloaded on the USDA FBG Training Resources webpage.
Child Care Action Council of Thurston County will receive $16,713 for their Farm to School turnkey grant to start Farm to School activities with an edible gardens project.
Another grantee, the Snohomish Conservation District, will partner with five CACFP preschool sites in Snohomish County to increase the amount of locally grown produce used in schools.
Learn more about their projects and see a full list of grantees in USDA’s FY21 Farm to School Grantees announcement.
|
|
July 30
|
May Claim 60-day Deadline - if you haven't already, submit your claim
|
|
August 15
|
July Claim Due in WINS!
|
|
September 1
|
FY22 Renewal applications due in WINS - Make sure your training requirements are complete!
|
|
