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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) granted use of waivers during the COVID-19 pandemic to allow for flexibility and social distancing to keep staff and CACFP participants safe. As we start the return to normal CACFP operations, please note how monitoring requirements are changing in FY23.
Nationwide Waiver of Onsite Monitoring
The nationwide waiver of on-site monitoring allows off-site monitoring through desk audits or hybrid models in Child Nutrition Programs for both State agencies and local level operators. At the local level, it is the expectation that onsite monitoring be conducted when onsite meal service is occurring. It may be reasonable to request use of this waiver for a limited duration due to circumstances caused by COVID-19.
- This Waiver is in effect until 30 days after the end of the Federal Public Health Emergency.
WA State Monitoring Waiver for Additional Flexibilities
WA State was approved for a waiver that allowed additional monitoring flexibilities. Sponsors approved for this waiver were able to conduct 2 reviews instead of 3 from October 2021–September 2022 and all visits could be announced, including the meal observation.
- This waiver is set to expire on September 30, 2022.
- Starting October 1, 2022 (FY23) all Sponsors must comply with the following monitoring requirements:
- Sponsoring Organizations must review each CACFP facility three times a year
- Two of the three reviews must be unannounced.
- That at least one unannounced review must include observation of meal service
Questions? Please contact your CACFP Specialist.
Monthly claims are due by the 15th of each month following the claim period. All claims entered in WINS and in OK to Pay status will process for payment at the end of the month.
WINS will be available to input claims until 5:00 pm PT, Monday, August 15. At 5 pm, WINS will log sponsors out of the system in order to run the monthly payment process.
Best Practice - Submit claims early in case an error comes up and you need assistance.
Best Practices for Submitting Claims
- Submit your claim by the 10th of the month. This will ensure your claim is in “OK to Pay” status prior to 5:00 pm PT on the 15th.
- Always select “Preview Errors” at the bottom of each site claim once information is entered.
- Review the Claiming Error Messages in WINS Information Sheet for more details on possible errors.
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Common Errors
- Total Attendance is entered with the claim and is the sum of children in attendance each day during the month. Meals claimed in excess of Total Attendance will result in a claim error.
- WINS edit checks the number of approved operating days for each site to the number of operating days entered in the site claim. If these numbers don’t match, the claim will go into error status.
- When you are experiencing issues with submitting your claim or when your claim is in error status, please contact your CACFP Specialist to assist you. Your Specialist will help to troubleshoot what the issue(s) may be. Do not reach out to CNS’s Fiscal Department or the WINS team directly.
General Claim Reminders
- Monthly claim data must be in "OK to Pay" status by 5:00 pm PT on the 15th.
- WINS will automatically log all users out of the system on the 15th of each month at 5pm PT.
- Ensure to give yourself enough time to input all claiming data so the claim is in “OK to Pay” status.
- Once WINS closes down the claiming option users are not allowed to input claim data until after the monthly claim reconciliation process is complete. This can take up to two business days.
- Didn't submit your claim by the 15th? That's okay! File your monthly claim by the 60-day deadline.
- Example: The July 60-day claim deadline is September 29, 2022.
- Claim reimbursements that are not entered into WINS or not in OK to pay status will NOT process for payment by the end of the month.
- The 21–22 Claim Processing Dates Information Sheet takes weekends and holidays into consideration for the 60-day deadlines. You may want to print or bookmark this information.
- Refer to the Claims Reference Sheet for details on what to do if you don't submit your claims by the 60-day claim deadline.
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Administrative Expenses
Sponsors may elect to use CACFP reimbursement to cover administrative expenses in their Food Service Budgets this fiscal year. Please review our 11/8 Entering Administrative Expenses article.
- Errors must be resolved for claims to be paid. WINS has multiple edit checks to help resolve issues before your claim is submitted.
- Common Errors
- Total Attendance is entered with the claim and is the sum of children in attendance each day during the month. Meals claimed in excess of Total Attendance will result in a claim error.
- WINS edit checks the number of approved operating days for each site to the number of operating days entered in the site claim. If these numbers don’t match, the claim will go into error status.
- Pro-Tip: Always select “Preview Errors” at the bottom of each site claim once information is entered.
Claiming Resources
Questions? Please contact your CACFP Specialist.
This past May, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced changes to the USDA nondiscrimination statement.
OSPI CNS has ordered updated And Justice for All Posters, we are currently waiting to receive these items and will announce when distribution will begin. Until you receive the updated posters, please continue using the 2019 And Justice for All poster in areas where participants may see it.
Questions? Please email the Child Nutrition inbox so we may assist.
This new Crediting Meat/ Meat Alternates tip sheet is a handy reference for Program operators across all Child Nutrition Programs (CNPs). This is a simple and easy-to-use resource that highlights the basics of crediting for the meat/meat alternates component.
Previously released tip sheets: Crediting Fruits and Crediting Vegetables in Child Nutrition Programs
Upcoming tip sheets: Crediting Milk and Grains in Child Nutrition Programs
All are welcome to download these materials and make copies. Printed versions of the tip sheet series will be available at a later date.
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It is time to start the preparation for the next program year!
A recorded FY23 renewal training, recorded tutorials and renewal references sheets are available to assist you through this process.
Resources
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Recorded Training and Tutorials Recorded trainings are located on our CACFP Annual Training Moodle Course. You will need to create a free Moodle account to view this training if you do not have one already.
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WINS Info Sheets WINS Information Sheets are located in WINS. To locate these resources, log into your profile and select the “Info” tab, then click on the “WINS Documentation and Job Aids” option.
- Child Care Sponsors
- Adult Day Care Sponsors received an email directly from OSPI CNS
- Family Day Care Home Sponsors received an email directly from OSPI CNS.
Application Reminders
All costs, including food, require prior approval before the cost is incurred. Therefore, budget submissions must be approved prior to the start of the fiscal year, no later than September 30, 2022. It may take up to 30 days to process and approve a complete application.
Sponsors may choose to submit their application for approval past the September 1 deadline but may not be approved in time to receive reimbursement for meals served during October 2022.
Required in WINS
- Update Sponsor Profile
- Sponsor Application
- Site application(s)
- Site calendar(s)
- Budget
- Management Plan (multi-site sponsors)
- Contract Fact Sheet if using a FSMC or Vendor
Dates to Remember
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July 15: FY23 WINS Applications Open
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September 1: Deadline to submit WINS Applications and Components
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September: Required Annual Training modules will be available in Moodle. Annual training is required to continue your participation in the CACFP.
- Please note:
- At the time of completing your Sponsor Application if you have not watched the recorded Annual Updates Training, answer "No" to the question "Institution attended required OSPI training". This training will be released in Sept.
- Required Annual Updated Training is separate from the recorded "FY 23 Renewal Training" and the "What's New in CACFP" webinar conducted in May.
Sponsors who have had a gap in CACFP operation of a year or longer must reactivate their CACFP application in addition to the renewal requirements to operate CACFP in FY23.
Questions? Please contact your CACFP Specialist.
USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Farm to School Program released the revised Procuring Local Foods for Child Nutrition Programs Guide, which provides an overview of federal procurement principles and covers topics related to sourcing and purchasing local foods for child nutrition program operators.
This guide highlights a variety of mechanisms sponsors can use to purchase local products while staying in accordance with federal procurement regulations.
Featured are examples of how to target local foods when conducting both formal and informal procurements, use the Geographic Preference option to enhance local purchasing.
To access the revised Procuring Local Foods for Child Nutrition Programs Guide along with other local procurement resources for child nutrition program operators, visit USDA's Procuring Local Foods webpage.
Supporting your staff is essential for success at both the individual and team levels. We all wish for our staff to be valued, healthy, productive, happy and less stressed.
Register for the Supporting a Healthy Team webinar
Date: Tuesday, August 23
Time: 11–12 pm PT
No Kid Hungry is hosting a webinar that will discuss the following questions:
- How do you promote wellness among your staff?
- How do you promote staff appreciation, retention and good morale?
- How do you build trust and maintain communication to increase the strength of your team?
This webinar will feature a panel of four speakers who are taking care of their staff through team building, wellness activities, recognition opportunities, financial incentives and more. Join us to learn more about what you can do to build morale, keep your staff healthy and retain valuable staff members.
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