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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.
General Claiming Reminders
- Seamless Summer Option (SSO) Operators
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Correct your Average Daily Attendance (ADA) Meals claimed in excess of the CAP count for a site will result in a claim error. SSO sponsors should make Average Daily Attendance (ADA) revisions and have specialist approval prior to submitting monthly claims.
- 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 exactly 5pm PT.
- Give yourself enough time to input all claiming data, preview errors, correct errors. Completing these steps will help you ensure the claim is in “OK to Pay” status.
- At 5 pm, the claim function is closed. This means that the system does not allow access to claims until after the monthly reconciliation process is complete. This can take up to two business days.
- Didn't submit your claim by the 15th? That's okay! Submit your monthly claim by the 60-day deadline.
- Example: The July 60-day claim deadline is September 29, 2022.
- o 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.
- Errors must be resolved for claims to be paid. WINS has multiple edit checks to help resolve issues before your claim is submitted.
- 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.
- Review the Claiming Error Messages in WINS Information Sheet for more details on possible errors.
- Pro-Tip: Always select “Preview Errors” at the bottom of each site claim once information is entered.
Claiming Resources
Questions? Please contact your School Meals Program Specialist.
OSPI has awarded funds to program sites to operate the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program in SY 22–23. A total of 225 schools have been offered grant funds to increase access to fresh produce as well as provide nutrition education. Congratulations to recipients! Awarded sites and funding amounts can be viewed on the FFVP webpage.
Annual Training Requirement
Training is required to participate in this program.
Questions? Please email Rachel Floyd, Special Programs Specialist.
Each legal entity that received funds from the U.S. Government was required to have a unique identifier called a DUNS number. On April 4, 2022, the federal government moved away from the DUNS Number as its official entity identifier and toward the new Unique Entity ID (UEI), which will be generated in SAM.gov.
What You Need to Do
All Child Nutrition Sponsors should already have their DUNS number registered at SAM.gov. If you do not know your SAM ID or have never registered for one, you can go to the Sam.gov website to register for a new account and request your UEI.
Each entity must get a UEI through SAM.gov.
If you are in the validation process now and have submitted a validation service ticket through SAM.gov, you must log into SAM.gov to receive correspondence for that ticket. If you have been contacted in SAM.gov about an open ticket, follow-up must be received from you within 5 days, or the ticket will be closed.
Details
The validation process is a critical piece of the federal awards ecosystem. It prevents improper payments, procurement fraud, and helps ensure the integrity of government contracts and grants processes, representing trillions of dollars in taxpayer funds each year.
This Entity Validation Service independently verifies the uniqueness of an entity. SAM.gov verifies that there is no existing registration for the legal business name and physical address as part of this validation process.
Informational Webinar
General Services Administration (GSA) hosted a Discussion on the new Entity Validation Process in SAM.gov on August 3, 2022. This webinar covered the various steps of the entity validation process, reviewed requirements for documentation, and addressed the most common user questions. This session focused on assisting entities that have begun the registration process or are currently renewing their registration.
You can now download the presentation slide deck and view a recording of the program.
GSA will be holding additional sessions in the near future specifically for entities that are planning to update their SAM.gov registration or submit a new registration in the coming weeks or months. These training sessions will cover the entity validation process phase of SAM.gov registration.
Please visit fsd.gov for resources on upcoming trainings on validating your Entity.
Questions? Please contact your School Meals Program Specialist. .
On November 15, 2021, President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58) into law, which established the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The ACP provides eligible households a discount of up to $30 per month off their internet bills (or $75 per month for households living on Tribal lands), as well as a one-time $100 discount off an eligible connected device.
How This Impacts Your Programs
All households with a child who was approved to receive free or reduced price meals under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or the School Breakfast Program (SBP) within the last 12 months, including children who attend schools participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), are eligible for ACP benefits.
Spread the Word about ACP!
Spread awareness of ACP benefits and increase enrollment by:
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Telling Families About the Program
- The ACP Outreach Toolkit has flyers, infographics, social media posts, and other resources available in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language.
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GetInternet.gov is the one-stop shop to check eligibility, enroll, and learn which providers offer fully covered plans.
- The website is also available in Spanish at AccedeAInternet.gov.
- Households can also call 877-384-2575 to learn how to apply.
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Contacting eligible or likely-eligible households directly.
- The federal government will conduct a Back-To-School campaign with information about ACP.
- Text messages and mail campaigns sent directly to eligible (or likely eligible) populations have the highest response rates and are recommended. Where possible, please reach out to these eligible or likely-eligible households directly.
ACP Eligibility
Households are also independently eligible if (1) their income is at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level ($55,500 for a family of four); or (2) a member of the household participates in certain other Federal benefit programs—including, among others, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Medicaid, and Federal Public Housing Assistance.
Households also gain ACP eligibility if one member of the household participates in one of these programs: Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit, Federal Pell Grant (received in the current award year), Lifeline, and certain Tribal assistance programs—including Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Head Start (only households meeting the income qualifying standard), Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF), and Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations. Households that are eligible for a broadband provider’s existing low-income internet program also qualify.
Applications for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP) are due by August 30 for Residential Child Care Institutions (RCCI) and September 30 for Local Education Agencies (LEA).
Updated Link: SY 22–23 WINS Renewal Application Training - This training is located in the School Meal Programs Annual Training Moodle course. Please note: You must have a Moodle Account to access this training.
Renewal Bulletins
- Public and Private Schools
- Residential Child Care Institutions
Resources
Questions? Contact your OSPI CNS School Meals Program Specialist.
Breakfast After the Bell (BAB) requirements related to House Bill 1508: The Washington Kids Ready to Learn Act will be returning in SY 22–23 and is required in high-need schools. High-need schools are defined as any public school where at least 70% of the total students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals; or, if operating the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), the school has a free claiming percentage of 70% or more.
View the Recorded Webinar on our Moodle Platform!
Note: You will need a free Moodle Account to view this training.
Resources
Questions? Please email the CNS Team inbox.
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.
Thank you to everyone who registered to join us for in-person training this week!
Virtual Training Coming Soon!
Annual Training topics are meant to enhance your knowledge about the School Meal Programs. This year we have taken most of our in-person trainings (excluding networking sessions) and recorded them for you to view at your convenience!
Who Should Access These Trainings?
Anyone is able to access them! You must have a Moodle Account to access these annual trainings once they become available.
We encourage you to maximize upon this opportunity and gain Professional Standards Credits by viewing all the trainings, even if you attend in-person training.
How Can I Access These Recorded Trainings?
These trainings are currently being closed captioned. Once they become available, they will be posted to the School Meal Programs Annual Training Moodle course
More details will be released when the trainings become available. Keep an eye out for upcoming newsletter articles!
Questions? Please email Sam Brueske, Training and Communications Specialist.
Sponsors, who contract with Food Service Management Companies (FSMCs), must maintain signature authority over reimbursement claims in WINS. FSMC employees may prepare the claims and provide supporting data but sponsor staff must review, approve, and submit the claims for reimbursement in WINS per 7 CFR 210.16(a)(5).
Questions? Please email Jeff Booth, Audit and Financial Manager or Hydie Kidd, Fiscal Supervisor.
Join USDA Team Nutrition Staff and guest speakers as they share how to energize, strengthen, and assess local school wellness policies. Attendees will leave with new ideas for increasing engagement and excitement about school wellness in their communities, including among administrators, teachers, parents, students, and more.
Register for the Meal Talk: Local School Wellness Policies webinar
Date: Wednesday, August 17
Time: 12–1 pm PT
Additional Information
- This webinar may count toward USDA Professional Standards for School Nutrition Programs, Key Area 4000: Communications and Marketing and Key Topics 4100: Communications and Marketing.
- The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Commission on Dietetic Registration has also approved this webinar for 1.0 hours of Continuing Professional Education Units (CPEUs).
- Team Nutrition will provide certificates of participation to individuals who attend the entire webinar.
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Do you need an alternative format or accessibility tools to help you participate in this event? Participants who require a different accessibility tool to participate in this webinar, please email Sheila Kopczynski by for assistance.
Questions regarding the webinar? Please reach out to the Team Nutrition inbox.
Register for a Webinar!
The USDA is hosting Unpaid Meals: Best Practices to Ensure Student Access to Meals. This webinar will feature panelists who will share proactive strategies to prevent and manage unpaid meal charges as schools return to standard counting and claiming in SY 2022-2023. Participants will also have an opportunity to engage in a question and answer session after the presentation.
Register for the Introducing the USDA Unpaid Meals webinar
Date: Wednesday, August 24
Time: 11 am–12 pm PT
Do you need an alternative format or accessibility tools to help you participate in this event? The USDA Child Nutrition Programs would like to share that this webinar will be offered with closed captioning. Participants who require a different accessibility tool to participate in this webinar, please reach out by Friday, August 19, 2022, to Sheila Kopczynski, FNS-RAC.
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.
Back-To-School Toolbox
The ICN compiled resources to prep you for the upcoming school year. The toolbox includes:
Visit the ICN Back to School Toolbox to see all the of the great resources at your fingertips!
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Please remember all shipping pallets must be returned to the delivery company. Please have your pallets available for pick up at the time of your next USDA Foods shipment.
Unreturned pallets can lead to increased shipping costs for everyone. Thank you for your cooperation.
Questions? Please email Food Distribution team or call 360-725-6204.
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