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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) recently released CACFP 01-2023: Creditability of Infant Formulas Imported Through the Food and Drug Administration’s 2022 Infant Enforcement Discretion Policy in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. This guidance is intended to support Child and Adult Care Food Program operators and the families they serve during the ongoing infant formula shortage and provides guidance to State Agencies and local program operators on the use of imported infant formulas.
Questions? Please contact your CACFP Specialist.
The White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health was a great success due to valuable input provided by conference participants across the country. For more information about the conference, action steps and goals moving forward, please review the following:
Post-Conference Updates
To keep momentum of the Conference, please join the Biden-Harris administration for their first post-Conference monthly update.
Register for the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health Monthly Update session
Date: Wednesday, October 26
Time: 12:30 - 1:00 pm PT
This is the fourth tip sheet in a series of seven that includes the previously released Crediting Fruits, Crediting Vegetables, and Crediting Meats/Meat Alternates in Child Nutrition Programs. This tip sheet is an easy-to-use reference for program operators in implementing the milk component requirements across all Child Nutrition Programs (CNP). Program operators can do a knowledge check of the meal component requirement with a question-and-answer section.
Access today at: Crediting Milk in Child Nutrition Programs
Printed versions of the tip sheet series will be available at a later date. Stay tuned for tip sheets on crediting grains in Child Nutrition Programs!
What Changed?
October must be used as the study month to set the rate of reimbursement. To ensure success:
Study month information may only be updated ONE (1) time per fiscal year. To ensure success:
- If an updated study month is conducted, it must be conducted at all sites. For this reason, Sponsors should assess the anticipated change in reimbursement at all sites prior to initiating a change.
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NEW! Use the study month worksheet to help calculate the difference in reimbursement when new study month numbers are entered compared to current study month numbers. To access this tool:
- Log in to WINS
- Select the 'Info' tab
- Select 'WINS Documentation and Job Aids'
- Locate the 'CACFP - FY23 Study Month Calculator Tool' and select the 'view' icon.
- The document will download—Save it to your files!
- For more details read the 6/13 Study Month for Fiscal Year (FY) 23 article and watch the CACFP Annual Updates Recorded Training (note: you will need a Moodle Account to view this training).
Renewal closing date for FY23 is June 30, 2023. To ensure success:
- Sponsors who do not have an approved CACFP application by June 30, 2023, will not be able to operate CACFP July–September 2023.
- If you do not plan to start CACFP operation in October 2022, but may operate later in the fiscal year, plan to submit your renewal application by June 1, 2023 so your application can be approved by the June 30 cutoff date.
- For more details read our 5/23 Renewal closing date article and watch the CACFP Annual Updates Recorded Training (note: you will need a Moodle Account to view this training).
Infants enrolled for care at your facility must be offered a meal that meets CACFP meal pattern requirements. To ensure success:
Operating expenditure reporting is required with monthly claims.
- This change affects all Sponsors who are required to complete a Budget in WINS and will start with your October claim. Please wait to file your October claim until November 5.
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To ensure success:
- Track and maintain documentation of all CACFP Operating expenses. This will assist in reporting actual monthly expenditures with monthly claims. To help track these expenses, use the CACFP Operating Expenditures Worksheet.
- If you have elected to use CACFP reimbursement for administrative expenses, track and maintain documentation of these expenses. This will assist you in entering monthly administrative expenses by budget line-item. To help track these expenses, use the CACFP Administrative Expenditures Worksheet
- Verify expenses have been reported in WINS as applicable when entering your claim. If not entered, the claim will not be paid.
- Please read the 6/27 Expense Reporting article and watch the CACFP Annual Updates Recorded Training for more details (note: you will need a Moodle Account to view this training).
Limited availability of CACFP waivers for FY23 as CACFP returns to normal operations. To ensure success:
- USDA has released resources and guidance to help sponsors transition to normal child nutrition operations on FNS’s webpage.
- If circumstances arise due to COVID that affect normal CACFP operation, the following waivers may be requested. Waiver requests are approved on a case-by-case basis and only for a limited duration of time.
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Non-Congregate Meal Service waiver expires June 30, 2023
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Parent/Guardian/Caretaker Meal Pickup waiver expires June 30, 2023
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Waiver of Meal Time Requirements waiver expires June 30, 2023
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Waiver of Onsite Monitoring waiver expires with the end of the Public Health Emergency
- For more information watch the CACFP Annual Updates Recorded Training.
- To request use of an available waiver, please contact your CACFP Specialist.
October 1-31: National Farm to School Month
Everyone can celebrate National Farm to School Month!
Farm to school empowers children and their families to make informed food choices and contribute to vibrant communities. 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!
Did you celebrate Farm to CACFP Week? Send your pictures and stories to Nichole Garden, OSPI Farm to Child Nutrition Program Specialist
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OSPI Child Nutrition Services annual training is mandatory for sponsors to maintain eligibility to participate in CACFP. At a minimum, the person responsible for oversight of the CACFP must attend. All CACFP sponsors must certify they will complete all training requirements when submitting their FY 2022–23 (FY23) sponsor application in WINS.
Who Must Attend Annual Training?
- All institutions participating in the CACFP.
- All institutions planning to participate in the CACFP in FY23.
- At a minimum, the person responsible for oversight of the CACFP must attend.
- This training is intended for CACFP directors and administrators.
How to Complete Your Training Requirements
CACFP Annual Training is located on our CACFP Annual Training Moodle Course. To complete training requirements, you must enroll in the course and complete all applicable training requirements. Use the FY23 How to Get Training Certificates Information Sheet for a guide with images on completing annual training requirements.
A. Create a Moodle Account to view this training if you do not have one already.
B. Go to the CACFP Child Care Centers and Family Day Care Home Sponsors Annual Training Moodle course and select ‘Self Enroll’ at the bottom of the page.
C. Watch Required Trainings Applicable to Your Organization Type.
D. Complete Moodle Requirements and Obtain Your Certificates.
- Once you have watched the required video, you must certify completion of each training topic by submitting a questionnaire. Note: By submitting this questionnaire you are certifying you have reviewed the corresponding training topic.
- Once submit the questionnaire, a training certificate will be available to print.
- You may download and print your certificates. Retain this documentation for your records.
- We will not ask for a copy of your certificate during renewal but may ask for it during administrative reviews.
- The person completing the FY23 sponsor application will certify that sponsor staff completed all required annual training in the Washington Integrated Nutrition System (WINS) Sponsor Application.
Resources
For more details upcoming changes in FY23, watch the “What’s New in CACFP” recorded webinar.
Questions? Please email the Community Nutrition team!
The Washington Farm to School Network hosts a monthly community of practice call for early learning providers and partners. This is a great opportunity to connect with other early learning providers interested in bringing local foods, gardening, and agriculture education into their early learning and child care programs.
Did you celebrate Farm to CACFP Week, or want to learn how? Join the Farm to ECE Community of Practice call to discover more about Farm to CACFP week! During this call we will hear from three presenters about their Farm to ECE and Farm to CACFP activities.
Register now to attend the Next Community of Practice Call
Date: Tuesday, October 25
Time: 3 pm PT
You can view the recording of the last meeting using this link.
As part of the National CACFP Sponsors Association (NCA) stakeholder commitment to the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, NCA is hosting a virtual event on December 7, 2022 titled Power of the Food Program.
The purpose of this event is to help raise awareness on how the CACFP contributes to nutrition security for potential CACFP Sponsors. Current CACFP Sponsors will receive practical training on serving healthy meals and discover ideas and resources that can be used in program operation immediately.
Apply for a Scholarship!
NCA is giving away 100 scholarships to attend the Power of the Food Program. You are encouraged to apply or if you know someone who isn't on the food program yet and wants to know more, please encourage them to apply.
Apply for the Power of the Food Program Scholarship today!
Earn up to 6 hours of continuing education with these sessions:
- Power of the Food Program Welcome & CACFP 101
- Making Cents! How to Get Financial Reimbursement for the Meals Your Serve
- Beginners' Guide to the Five Meal Pattern Components
- Serving Up Nutrition: Menu Planning & Recipe Ideas
- Playing Around: Making Physical Activity Part of Your Program
- Joining Made Easy - Five Steps to Food Program Success
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