Sunset on the Summer Newsletters
Thank you for all your hard work this summer! As the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) winds down, OSPI Child Nutrition Services will discontinue sending the Summer Newsletter in the coming weeks.
We want to ensure that important information is shared to appropriate groups and that you are able to easily identify which program the newsletter is geared toward. Here are the options as we head into School Year (SY) 21–22:
- School Meals and Food Distribution Newsletter
- Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Newsletter
Next Steps
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If your organization will be operating the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or Seamless Summer Option (SSO) in SY 21–22, you will now only receive the School Meals and Food Distribution Newsletter. Please refer to the School Meals and Food Distribution newsletter for important program reminders and updates.
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If your organization only operates the SFSP, you will no longer receive a weekly newsletter until we start communicating about summer 2022 operations.
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If your organization operates the CACFP, you should already be receiving a separate weekly newsletter. Please continue to refer to the CACFP Newsletter for important program reminders and updates.
Questions? Please email Samantha Brueske, Training and Communications Specialist.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) encourages SFSP sponsors and State Agencies to work together to host COVID-19 vaccination clinics at meal sites. Summer sites pose a safe, accessible, and trusted location for teens and their families. Coordinating SFSP sites and vaccination clinics may help underserved communities receive this vital vaccination, while also receiving nutritious meals.
Sponsors interested in hosting a COVID vaccine site in coordination with a meal distribution site should contact their local health department or a local vaccine provider or consult the WA State Department of Health website. Additionally any COVID questions can be directed to 1-800-525-0127.
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
- Changes to meal distribution methods or waivers used, 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 stopping operations, revise the site calendar with the last meal service date.
Questions? Contact your OSPI CNS Program Specialist or email 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.
Fall Virtual Instructor-Led Training Opportunities
The goal for Virtual Instructor-Lead Trainings is to offer an interactive virtual training experience. Register for an upcoming ICN Training today!
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Basic Culinary Math
This virtual training provides participants with the opportunity to review and practice basic culinary math skills, including the basic math principles of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The remainder of the training will focus on other key skills such as measuring and converting measurements, scaling recipes, and calculating food costs.
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Buy American: U.S. Agriculture Supporting Healthy School Meals
This virtual training provides general concepts about the Buy American provisions when procuring food for Federal school nutrition programs. The sessions provide knowledge for the stakeholders that can lead to their success in applying these requirements during the food purchasing and contract monitoring activities.
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Focus on the Customer for Directors and Managers
This virtual training is designed to help directors and managers focus on customer service. This live, interactive session will help participants define the primary customer in the school nutrition program. Participants will also learn how to train staff and how to develop a customer service action plan.
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Food Safety Basics
This virtual training provides new school nutrition managers, employees, and substitute cooks with the fundamentals for food safety. It covers the importance of food safety and why it is important, methods for training school nutrition staff on food safety, how to prevent foodborne illness, and checklists to monitor food safety.
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August 30
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June Claim 60-day Deadline - if you haven't already, submit your claim
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September 15
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August Claim Due in WINS
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