Please upload eligibility lists for Summer 2022 benefits for the families you serve!
The P-EBT Portal is open until October 7th for you to submit any additional students.
As a reminder, WA was approved for summer 2022 P-EBT. Therefore, benefits are an extension of last school year. There is no expectation that you upload SY22-23 students. The current upload is for any students that were mistakenly not include in your original upload or for families that reached out to you over the summer specifically about P-EBT and completed an application prior to August 31.
For any issues with uploading, please email the P-EBT Support inbox.
For questions about student eligibility, please email child.nutrition@k12.wa.us.
Please direct families to the P-EBT website or to the P-EBT call center at 1-833-518-0282.
Child Nutrition Services is looking for members for the SY 22–23 & SY 23–24 School Meal Programs Advisory Council
The CNS Advisory Council is a voluntary group, comprised of a diverse group of sponsors from different geographic regions, size representation, and meal production methods. The purpose of this advisory council is to provide a forum for collaboration and understanding between OSPI and sponsors of the School Meal Programs.
While not a decision making authority, the advisory council will serve a critical role by:
- Providing input on and sharing of best practices;
- Providing input on training and resource needs;
- Engaging in peer to peer learning and peer support.
Submit Your Interest Form Today!
If you are interested in participating in this group, please complete this interest form by Friday, October 7, 2022.
Member Selection
Member selection will be based on size, geographical location, meal production method, and type sponsor type, to best represent sponsors in Washington. Sponsors may volunteer and/or be invited by OSPI CNS. OSPI CNS will make final decision on members. Advisory Council members agree to be honest, transparent and respectful in their dialogue with other Advisory Council members and while representing the Advisory Council.
Questions? Please email the School Meals team inbox.
Local Education Agency(LEA) applications for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) were due last Friday, September 30!
What happens if we submit our renewal after September 30?
Please work to submit your renewal application as soon as possible. It is possible that Sponsors who submit their application for approval past the September 30 deadline may not be approved in time to receive reimbursement for meals served during August and September 2022.
Please follow the instructions provided in the bulletins to ensure the renewal process is complete. The NSLP/SBP Renewal Application Checklist can be used as a guide to complete the application.
For links to bulletins and their attachments, please review the 7/18 Renewal Article.
For general reminders about renewal requirements, please review the 9/19 Renewal Article
Resources
Questions? Contact your OSPI CNS School Meals Program Specialist.
Round 1 of USDA Supply Chain Assistance (SCA) funds were released with September Apportionment payments. You can view the amount your district received in your WINS Accounts Tab, under Payment Summary. Make sure and select September 2022.
USDA has announced 2nd and 3rd Rounds of SCA funding. We anticipate the release of these funds at the end of January.
Supply Chain Assistance Funds Bulletins B029-22 and B051-22 provide additional details.
Questions? Please email the School Meals team inbox.
Questions? Please email the School Meals team inbox.
October 1-31: National Farm to School Month
Celebrate by offering farm to school activities at least once or all month long! Some ideas include: taste tests, nutrition education, farm visits, and garden harvest parties!
Serving local food items as part of your menu is another great way to celebrate! More ideas and specific resources are found on National Farm to School Network’s website.
OSPI and USDA support the use of Farm to School activities in your program. In fact, they’re considered a best practice!
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October 5: Taste Washington Day!
Taste Washington Day is a celebration of your Farm to School efforts! October is National Farm to School Month. So it’s a great time to highlight all of your Farm to School activities.
How can your school district participate?
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Sign your district up online and share your plans!
- The WSDA Farm to School program will help connect you with farms in your area.
- Serve breakfast or lunch with local ingredients on October 5 (or another day in October).
- Celebrate with some Farm to School activities, such as:
- Market your Washington grown ingredients by displaying posters or special salad bar signs (See WSDA Farm to School Toolkit or Team Nutrition websites)
- Do a Washington Apple Crunch
- Invite Farmers to the cafeteria
- Do a local foods taste test
- Partner with teachers or school gardeners to teach a lesson on nutrition and agriculture
Questions? Email Annette Slonim, WSDA Farm to School Lead or call 206-714-2757.
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October 5 at Noon: Washington Apple Crunch
The statewide Apple Crunch also occurs on October 5 and purchasing local apples for the Crunch can count towards both events! Taste Washington Day is a great way to kick-off Farm to School Month! Celebrate with us on October 5 and count the efforts towards your participation in Farm to School Month!
Print and send home the 2022 Apple Crunch Flyer with info about how to do the apple crunch, and Washington apple facts!
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October 10–14, 2022: National School Lunch Week
The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) serves nearly 30 million children every school day in cafeterias, classrooms, and when necessary, even at home! National School Lunch Week highlights the importance of school lunch as well as the critical role school nutrition professionals play in helping children succeed.
This year’s theme is Peace, Love, & School Lunch
How to participate?
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Join the USDA Meal Talk: Taste-Test Events Webinar on Wednesday, October 12! During this webinar, speakers will share tools, tips, strategies, success stories, and best practices related to hosting taste-test events with elementary and secondary school students. Attendees will hear about new ideas and tools for conducting taste-test events as well as strategies for incorporating taste-test results into menu planning. Register for the USDA Meal Talk: Taste-Test Events Webinar | Date: Wednesday, October 12 | Time: Noon–1pm PT
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Deck out your cafeteria with NSLW posters and other artwork portraying nutritious lunch foods. This is a great opportunity to make use of the annual theme to highlight lunchtime favorites.
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Share your upcoming celebration on social media! Download the official #NSLW22 social media graphics to start promoting.
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Get in touch with local personalities! Invite teachers, administrators or even your school principal to stand in as guest servers for lunch one day.
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Offer a tasting of new menu items and talk to students about the nutritious benefits they get from certain foods.
Visit the NSLW22 webpage for additional tools and resources!
Share Your Celebration with the School Nutrition Association!
We Want to Celebrate YOU!
Send pictures and stories of your Farm to School Month celebrations to the School Meals Team inbox!
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Private schools and residential child care institutions (RCCIs) participating in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Child Nutrition Programs are required to complete and submit a Child Nutrition Financial Report (CNFR) annually. This includes sponsors that participate in the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and Special Milk Program.
The CNFR reports the net resources for state fiscal year ending 2021 (July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022). The report is filed in Washington Integrated Nutrition System (WINS) and is due by December 31, 2022.
Local Education Agencies who do not submit their CNFR in WINS by December 31 will receive a claim error when submitting claims after this date. Claims will remain in error status until the CNFR is in submitted status.
Resources
Questions? Please contact your program specialist.
Child nutrition sponsors with Food Service Management Companies (FSMC) and those with inter-district agreements are required to complete and submit a Financial Information Report (Form 1505) annually.
The financial information gathered in Form 1505 is used to complete the 1800 Report. The 1800 Report is a compilation of reports and statistics for public schools to evaluate the performance of their food service operations.
Form 1505 records the distribution of FSMC expenditures for school fiscal year ending August 31, 2022.
Submit your 1505 report to Hydie Kidd by December 31, 2022.
Verification Process
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 (Verification Summary Report) must be submitted to Child Nutrition Services by February 1, 2023.
All Local Education Agencies (LEAs) that determine eligibility for meals using meal applications must conduct verification.
Verification Method Reminders
- New LEA must use the 3% focused method.
- LEAs with a 20% or greater non-response rate from verification in school year 2021-22 must use the 3% Focused method.
Sponsors Who Collect Meal Applications
All sponsors who determine eligibility for meals using meal applications should move forward with the annual verification process for SY 22–23.
Reminder: The Direct Verification Process has been discontinued. We encourage sponsors to familiarize themselves with the Rolling Verification process to help reduce workload.
Materials
Verification materials and tools are available on the CNS Free and Reduced-Price Meals and Verification webpage including:
- Timeline for Completing Verification Tasks
- Verification Non-Response Rate 20% or greater for SY 2021–22
- 3% Focused Sampling Worksheet
- 3% Random Sampling Worksheet
- 1% plus ½% Focused Sampling Worksheet
- Explanation of Method Used to Select Verification Sample
- Waiver of Second Party Confirmation Review and Instructions
- Documentation of the Verification Process
- Verification Letter Templates in English and Spanish
The SY 22–23 Verification Summary Report will be completed in WINS.
Timeline
Please use the Timeline for Completing Verification Tasks for complete details of completing this process.
Beginning of the school year to October 1: Process applications and run the direct certification list often. Ensure you have the most up to date information from the LEA Homeless Liaison and Head Start/ECEAP program administrators. Remove and file separately, paper applications for students that are directly certified for Basic Food, TANF, Migrant, FDPIR, Homeless, Head Start/ECEAP.
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October 1
- Count newly submitted applications for SY 22–23.
- Determine the Verification Method and select appropriate sample.
- Conduct a Second Party Confirmation Review or, if applicable, print waiver.
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October 1 – November 15 Send Verification notices. Conduct follow up attempts and send letters of adverse action as applicable
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Last Operating Day in October Count and record the number of newly eligible students in SY 22–23, who are:
- Directly certified for Basic Food
- Directly certified for Medicaid Free
- Directly certified for Medicaid Reduced
- Directly certified for TANF, Foster, FDPIR, Migrant, Homeless, Head Start/ECEAP
- Eligible for free meals; paper applications with case numbers and foster child
- Eligible for free meals; paper application – household size and income
- Eligible for reduced-price meals – household size and income
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Prior to February 1 Complete and submit the Verification Summary Report
Questions about the verification process? Please contact your program specialist.
Civil Rights training must be completed annually by all staff who help administer a Child Nutrition Program. Program directors and administrators must train staff on organizational practices and requirements.
Review Your Requirements with the CNS Civil Rights Training!
CNP sponsors, administrators, and directors of organizations must be trained annually on Civil Rights requirements, as well as train program staff on their requirements. While this training goes over what is required for Civil Rights training, it does not go into your organization’s practices. Additional training must be provided to staff to meet requirements.
How To Access This Training
Anyone is able to access the Civil Rights training in the Moodle platform. NOTE: You must have a Moodle Account to access this training.
Civil Rights Updates
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) updated their nondiscrimination statement in May 2022 to clarify prohibitions against discrimination based on sex in all USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) programs.
Sponsors must:
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Update program discrimination complaint processing procedures to include complaints alleging sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination, if not currently part of your organizational practices.
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Process any complaints alleging sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination as complaints of prohibited sex discrimination.
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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).
- OSPI CNS updated documents to include the updated statement in English and Spanish. USDA will be updating their Nondiscrimination Statement Webpage as additional translations are made available. Be sure to use the document listed under the "All Other Programs NDS" column.
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Continue using the 2019 'And Justice for All' posters 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.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released several tools, resources, and webinars to assist with the upcoming school year.
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Professional Standards Training Tracker Tool (PSTTT) Webinar will review the basic features of the PSTTT including how to manage your employee profiles, log training, and print certificates. Additionally, we will highlight some of the latest updates to the PSTTT such as deactivating and reactivating employee profiles, bulk upload of trainings and employee profiles, and the new job title categories.
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Understanding Cultural Food Ways in School Communities Webinar—Offering culturally inclusive menu items is also a way for students to learn more about their peers. This webinar (part one of a two-part series) will provide a roadmap for community outreach and engagement around religious and cultural foodways.
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Meal Talk: Taste-Test Events Webinar will share tools, tips, strategies, success stories, and best practices related to hosting taste-test events with elementary and secondary school students. Attendees will hear about new ideas and tools for conducting taste-test events as well as strategies for incorporating taste-test results into menu planning.
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USDA Back-to-School Media Toolkit webpage features sample social media posts, downloadable flyers and fact sheets and video soundbites from USDA's Director of Nutrition Security and Health Equity on topics such as the importance of school meals and what parents need to know about School Meals.
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Transitioning to Standard Child Nutrition Operations in School Year (SY) 2022–23 Resources
The Direct Certification system for SY 22–23 opened earlier this month.
Students on the district list, confirmed near matches, and students found using the Student Search function are free and reduced-price meal eligible beginning SY 22–23.
Direct Certification is the process of matching Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) information with student enrollment in the Comprehensive Education Data and Research System (CEDARS). This helps Local Education Agencies (LEAs) identify students eligible for free and reduced-price meals. Students that are directly certified are not required to submit a meal application to their district.
Direct Certification is required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and must be conducted monthly under Washington state law. RCW 28A.235.280(3)
The direct certification list is in OSPI’s Education Data System (EDS). Locate the User Manual and other resources on the CNS webpages.
Potentially Enrolled and Definitely Enrolled Students
At the beginning of each year, each school district will not have students identified as definitely enrolled and the definitely enrolled list will be blank. Once the district data manager for EDS uploads CEDARS enrollment, usually around October 1, the definitely enrolled list will show.
In the meantime, local education agencies will use the potentially enrolled list to identify directly certified students. Potentially enrolled means the student may be enrolled in the school district for SY 22–23 but until district enrollment is submitted in CEDARS, it cannot be confirmed. Potentially enrolled students are directly certified for free and reduced-price meals.
For more details, please review the Direct Certification User Manual.
Contact Information
Upcoming Scratch Cooking Recipe Development Trainings
At this free, half-day training, you’ll learn the basics of recipe standardization from how to find and analyze a starting recipe through taste testing and scaling to volume. Other useful scratch cooking topics such as determining crediting information, using local ingredients, and how to promote your new recipes will also be covered.
Register Today!
This training will be most useful for nutrition professionals responsible for scratch recipe development and menu planning.
Each participant must register for the event using their own pdEnroller account.
Funding for this training is provided by a USDA Team Nutrition Grant. For additional information about this or other Team Nutrition Grant activities email Erica Lamson, Team Nutrition Grant Coordinator.
October orders open Wednesday, October 5, and will close Wednesday, October 12, at 4 pm.
Surplus orders will open Thursday, October 13 at 1pm for groups 1 - 3, and 2 pm for all other groups. Surplus closes Friday, October 14, at 4 pm.
For more information on your group number, please review the SY 2022–23 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
- Review the messages on the CNP Web message board for a current list of product availability and shortages
- New Fees - Delivery Fee Schedule for SY 2022–23
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New - Minimum 20 cases per warehouse (dry vs frozen).
- Due to increased labor and production cost, several processors issued price increases starting in the November order period. Please review the 10/11 W-Code Price Increase Article for more details.
The Ordering and Receiving webpage has multiple resources to assist you in placing your ordering including; instructions, order and distribution schedule.
Important Reminders
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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 Office or call 360-725-6204.
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