OSPI Child Nutrition Services and the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) worked together to submit a state plan for Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) during SY 21–22.
At this time, we are in communication with USDA and are awaiting approval of our state plan.
We are postponing our P-EBT for SY 21–22 Webinar until more information becomes available. Please keep an eye out for future CNS Updates.
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Local Education Agencies (LEAs) returning from holiday break have reported a high number of new students matched for both direct certification free and direct certification free/reduced Medicaid.
Cautionary measures were taken and the system was closed while Child Nutrition Services investigated reports. The system is now re-opened and LEAs may proceed using the system to directly certify students for free and reduced-price meals.
A recent matching logic update to the system was implemented. This issue was preventing a higher number of matches than previously estimated. The system is working as expected and all matches are eligible for direct certification.
Questions? Please contact your School Meals Program Specialist.
Verification is the process of confirming free and reduced-price meal eligibility based on an application. The verification process begins each year on October 1 and concludes November 15. Results of the verification process are reported in the Verification Summary Report (VSR).
Public school districts, private schools, and residential child care institutions that determine eligibility for meals using meal applications must conduct verification. Please review the 9/27 Verification article for resources and details about completing the verification process.
Important Details
- All sponsors who collected meal applications for SY 21–22 are required to submit the Verification Summary Report.
- The VSR must be completed and submitted in WINS by February 15, 2022.
- Sponsors will not be able to submit their January Claim until their VSR is error free and submitted in WINS.
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On the "Application Results" tab, enter results carefully. The edit and delete buttons on the "Application Results" tab is not functioning. WINS may run slower than usual, do not use the "back" button or click "save a row" more than once. This may result in duplicates that cannot be deleted. If this happens, please contact your program specialist.
Resources
Questions about the verification process? Please contact your School Meals Program Specialist.
Meal Distribution Plans (MDPs) approved for school year 21–22 expired on December 31, 2021.
We continue to hear of the ongoing challenges around school closures, food order cancelations, delays, and shortages.
The approved waivers submitted with renewal application MDPs expired on December 31, 2021. To streamline the process for current waiver extensions, sponsors who have approved MDPs on file received an e-mail on December 31, 2021, asking if you would like to extend your approved waiver requests through June 30, 2022, or your last operating day, whichever comes first.
Steps to Take
To continue to utilize your approved flexibilities and waivers through the end of the program year, sponsors must request a waiver extension through email instructions prior to January 31, 2022.
To request additional waivers, change your waiver request or to apply for new waivers due to school closures or supply chain disruptions, please update your SY 21–22 Meal Distribution Plan.
View our 12/20 CNS Update for more information.
Questions? Please contact your School Meals Program Specialist.
Meal Access Grant (Form Package 383) closes January 18!
Formerly known as the Breakfast Meals for Kids Grant, this grant is available to public school districts, tribal compact schools and charter schools.
Previous Grant Projects Awarded:
This grant focuses on starting a new meal program, increasing participation in an existing program, improving program meal quality, and improving the equipment and facilities used in an existing program.
Some examples of previous grant awards are located on the History of Meal Access Grant Awardees document.
Interested in Applying?
View the recorded webinar for an overview of the application, important changes from previous year's applications, tips for your application, and grant timelines.
View the Meal Access Grant Interest Webinar
How to Apply
Applicants may apply for a single school or multiple schools, including central kitchens. Applications are completed in iGrants (form package 383) and are due before 4 pm PT, Tuesday, January 18, 2022.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the Evaluation Document, located on the Profile Page of iGrants, before starting the application.
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NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant (Form Package 472) closes February 10!
Public school districts, private schools, tribal schools, charter schools and residential childcare institutions are eligible to apply National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Equipment Assistance Grant.
This funding can be used for:
- Replace aging equipment or update equipment
- Adopt lunchroom changes that provide more convenience and appeal to students
- Make meaningful impacts on student nutrition and quality of meals.
Interested in Applying?
View the recorded webinar for an overview of the application, important changes from previous year's applications, tips for your application, and grant timelines.
View the NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant Interest Webinar Recording
How to Apply
Applicants may apply for a single school or multiple schools, including central kitchens. Applications are completed in iGrants (form package 383) and are due before 4 pm PT, Thursday, February 10, 2022.
Questions? Please email the CNS Grants team.
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OSPI Child Nutrition Services has developed a new guide to feeding students who are in quarantine due to possible COVID-19 exposure or illness.
We encourage you to continue providing access to meals, as many students rely on school meals for nutritional support. Providing meals to quarantined students is a local level decision. Though there is no USDA requirement to provide or deliver meals during school or classroom closures, we encourage district leaders to consider all options available to support students
Register for the Feeding Students in Quarantine Guide Webinar
Date: Thursday, January 20, 2022
Time: 1:30–2:30 pm PT
Questions? Please email the OSPI Child Nutrition team.
The Washington State legislature appropriated over 11 million in funds to support Child Nutrition Programs in WA during 2021–22. These funds support a variety of programs and grants.
All Public school districts, Charter schools and Tribal compact schools operating the NSLP or Seamless Summer Option (SSO) in SY 21–22 will be provided funds to support meal access and distribution. A portion of these funds will be distributed at the end of January 2022.
Payments will be calculated based on the total number of Breakfast and Lunch meals served for either NSLP or SSO, as reported on the October 2021 claim, multiplied $0.50.
Questions? Please email Hydie Kidd, Fiscal Supervisor.
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.
School Nutrition Leadership Training
ICN plans to host two face-to-face sessions of Introduction to School Nutrition Leadership in 2022 in Oxford, Mississippi. These training will be hosted:
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March 14–18, 2022 (participants would travel to Oxford on March 13 and return home on March 18)
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June 13–17, 2022 (participants would travel to Oxford on June 12 and return home on June 17)
Travel Scholarships
The Institute is offering travel scholarships for directors with five or less years of experience to attend our upcoming sessions.
Applications for travel scholarships are being accepted through January 15, 2022.
For more details, or to apply for the travel scholarship, please visit the ICN website.
February orders opened Wednesday, January 5, and will close Wednesday, January 12 at 4 pm.
Surplus orders open Thursday, January 13 at 1pm for groups 1–3, and 2 pm for all other groups. Surplus closes Friday, January 14, at 4 pm.
For more information on your group number, please review the SY 21–22 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
The month of January has already been a challenge for our carriers due to weather and unexpected school closings. Because of this, please expect delivery days to vary from previous months.
Notify your carrier as soon as possible if you need to cancel or change your delivery of USDA Foods. Deliveries combine orders from multiple LEAs, loaded in the order they will be delivered. Early notification to your carrier allows for adjustments so other LEAs may still receive their order. Please review our 12/20 FDP Corner article for details on what to do for unexpected changes in your services.
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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.
- Deliveries
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To update or change your delivery contact person, please complete the Delivery Updates Form.
- Standard USDA food deliveries are wrapped and stacked on pallets no higher than approximately five feet and left at your loading dock for you to remove.
- Carriers will drop pallets at dock or just inside the threshold of your facility if the entrance can accommodate. Any request for removal of product from the pallet or asking the driver to enter the facility will require additional cost and must be arranged in advance.
- If there are delivery discrepancies or damages, you may return those cases with the driver.
Questions? Please email the Food Distribution Inbox.
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Complete Your Interest Survey by January 24
The School Year (SY) 2022–23 USDA Foods Interest Survey allows you to express interest in which USDA direct products to add to our Washington State product list.
Complete the SY 2022-23 USDA Foods Interest Survey by January 24. Responses received after this date may not be considered.
Items with the highest interest will be included in the 2022–23 Pre-Order survey. Please note: the Interest Survey does not include all available items for school year 2022–23.
Interest Survey vs Pre-Order Survey
Interest Survey: Lets OSPI Child Nutrition Services know which USDA Direct products you are interested in and if we should add items to our product list. If enough interest is expressed and we can order in the proper quantities, products will become available on the Pre-Order Survey.
Pre-Order Survey: After you let us know the items you are interested in, you must commit to ordering. The Pre-Order Survey is your commitment to how much and which items you plan on ordering in the upcoming school year.
Questions about the survey? Please email the Food Distribution Inbox
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