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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released updated Civil Rights Division (CRD) policy memos.
Important Updates
These memos clarify prohibitions against discrimination based on sex in all USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) programs and related implementing regulations that prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation.
What this means: Child Nutrition Program operators and sponsors may not discriminate or deny access to programs based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
Next Steps
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Effective Immediately: If not currently part of your organizational practices, update program discrimination complaint processing procedures to include complaints alleging sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination.
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Effective Immediately: Process any complaints alleging sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination as complaints of prohibited sex discrimination. There will not be a grace period for accepting and processing discrimination complaints based on sexual orientation and gender identity in FNS programs.
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Before August 3, 2022: Update webpages and documents with the updated USDA Child Nutrition Programs Nondiscrimination Statement.
- The nondiscrimination statement is required on all documents referring to program access, program approval, and widely distributed documents. Examples include: items distributed to the public, landing page of web pages, student handbooks, brochures, letters to families, or press releases.
- Child Nutrition Program operators and sponsors are required to take reasonable steps to ensure program access and benefits to individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP).
- The USDA is currently working to translate the updated nondiscrimination statement into additional languages. Please do not translate the nondiscrimination statement at this time.
- OSPI CNS will update documents previously translated with the updated nondiscrimination statement. Please keep an eye out for future CNS Updates.
Additional Details
- OSPI CNS is ordering updated And Justice for All Posters and will be distributing them over the coming months. Until you receive the updated posters, please continue using the 2019 And Justice for All poster.
- We understand many program operators and sponsors are preparing materials for the upcoming program year.
- If your organization has already printed materials that include the previous nondiscrimination statement, you are not required to re-print documents.
- If your organization has not printed materials, please use the updated versions as they become available on the OSPI CNS webpages.
- OSPI CNS will be updating reference sheets, materials, and webpages in the coming weeks.
Questions? Please email the Child Nutrition inbox so we may assist.
The USDA requires SFSP sponsors to have appropriate arrangements for food service during periods of inclement weather (7 CFR 225.6(c)(2)(i)(D)). Although all outdoor sites are not required to have an alternate temperature-controlled site, sponsors should have a contingency plan for dealing with extreme weather conditions, such as thunderstorms, excessive heat, or poor air quality. Options may include:
- Using a tent to provide extra shade on extremely hot days.
- Partnering with a housing community to use an air-conditioned lobby or community room on extremely hot days.
- Discontinuing meal service if safety is a concern.
If safety for staff and families is a concern and you plan to discontinue meal service, or the meal service will take place at an alternate site, plans must be in place for how the community will be notified. Sponsors are encouraged to plan for emergency situations in advance to ensure a rapid response.
If you plan on using a backup site that is not already included in your SFSP application, reach out to the Summer Meals team and request the site be added in WINS. Backup sites must still meet SFSP area-eligibility requirements.
There is a new SFSP Food Service Agreement for Vendors available on the Food Service Management Companies webpage. All SFSP sponsors who use a vendor must use this form moving forward.
Questions? Please email the Summer Meals Team.
Spread the word about your program using branded statewide promotion materials!
OSPI Child Nutrition Services collaborated with United Way of King County and the Washington Dairy Council to create statewide promotional materials for the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). As part of the kickoff, each sponsor will be able to order a promotion kit for their sites at no cost!
Ordering Information
- Each SFSP Sponsor must order kit(s) to distribute to their sites.
- Ordering closes at the beginning of June—Submit your order soon! The earlier you order, the sooner your kits will arrive.
- Kits are expected to be on site no later than July 1, 2022.
Order Your SFSP Promo Kit(s) Today!
Kit Contents:
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Survey Flyer: This year CNS is going to be collecting information on how parents heard about summer meal sites. Post this flyer in a visible location during the week of July 25–29, 2022! We will collect this information directly from parents during the week of July 25–29, 2022. Parents can scan the QR code with their phone or visit the URL listed on the flyer to answer a few questions and register for a chance to win a $50 gift card courtesy of United Way of King County. Each kit includes one (1) survey flyer.
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Banner: Use this banner to promote your site throughout the summer months. Each kit includes one (1) banner.
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Stickers: Stickers can encourage participants to come to your site and try new foods! Each kit includes 1,000 stickers.
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Bookmarks: Learning does not stop during the summer months! Inspire participants to read and spread the word with these double-sided bookmarks. Each kit includes 500 bookmarks.
State-wide Branded Materials
We encourage you to use a printer of your choice to have additional items produced. You can use the images and graphics on the SFSP Resources webpage at no charge to you.
- Marketing Materials
- Social Media Content
Questions? Please email the Summer Meals Team.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a recall of Jif® peanut butter products sold in the U.S. due to potential Salmonella contamination.
USDA Foods are not impacted by this recall. The recalled peanut butter was distributed nationwide in retail stores and other outlets. Recalled products include the products below with lot codes 1274425 – 2140425. Lot codes are included alongside best-if-used-by date.
We encourage Child Nutrition Program sponsors to monitor the most current information on this recall and those related to it on the FDA’s Recalls, Market Withdrawals, and Safety Alerts webpage.
Questions? Please contact the J.M. Smucker Co. at 800-828-9980.
We want to remind our sponsors that we have several short, topic-based SFSP trainings available in Moodle that sponsors can incorporate into staff trainings. There are several different training topics such as Monitoring, Menu Planning, Offer Vs. Serve, Point of Service Meal Counting, and more! We encourage you to use these trainings to help enhance program knowledge amongst your staff!
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 304-304 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.
After high-profile, tragic events, children may feel that they are in danger, or worry that friends and loved ones are at risk. They will often come to families, teachers, and other trusted adults with questions and to find reassurance, but it isn’t always easy to know what to say. OSPI has gathered resources from experts across the web, including our own laws around school safety, to help inform and guide these conversations. Talking to children about their fears can help alleviate those fears and help young people feel secure.
Read OSPI’s blog post, Supporting Students Through Tragedies, for tips from experts for talking with young people about violence, as well as for an overview of Washington’s school safety laws. You may also read Superintendent Reykdal’s statement on the shooting.
As OSPI has begun to receive SFSP applications, there are some common questions we would like to address.
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All New Sponsor trainings for SFSP this year have been completed. If you have never operated SFSP, did not attend any of our New Sponsor trainings and are still interested in participating in SFSP this summer, please email the Summer Meals Team to discuss options.
SFSP application requirements can be found under the Application Materials dropdown of our SFSP Requirements and Materials page, and training requirements can be found on our Summer Food Service Program Training page.
- Sponsors who already have an approved FY 21–22 application in WINS need to revise this application to access the 2021–22 SFSP application.
- School sites that provide summer school and operate SFSP or SSO must be open to the community in addition to summer school students.
- If a district has sites that are operating SSO during SY 21–22 and are switching to open SFSP sites for traditional summer, the Eligibility section in each site’s WINS application must be updated.
- A complete SFSP application includes your 21–22 WINS application plus the 2022 SFSP Application Submission Survey. We do not begin reviewing applications until the survey has been submitted to OSPI.
- Per RCW 28A.235.160, school districts offering any sort of academic, enrichment, or remedial program during the summer months at qualifying sites must offer a food program at those sites. Qualifying sites are defined as those schools that have 50 percent or more children enrolled during the regular school year who qualify for free and reduced-price meals. Exemptions from this requirement for this summer are being considered on a case-by-case basis. Please reach out to the Summer Meals Team if you would like information on the process to request an exemption this summer.
- If a district is using a community based organization to comply with RCW 28A.235.160, the district must request an exemption by emailing summermeals@k12.wa.us, describing which community based organization is providing meals for summer school children at qualifying sites, and CC-ing the district’s superintendent.
Questions? Please email the Summer Meals Team.
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June 3
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SFSP Application due date for Programs starting after June 30
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June 15
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Federal SFSP Application Deadline—Applications received after this date will not be accepted
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| June 15 |
May Claims Due in WINS |
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