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Are your meals appetizing, appealing, and nutritious? The USDA wants to recognize you!
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Turnip the Beet award recognizes outstanding summer meal program sponsors across the country who work to offer high quality meals to children that are appetizing, appealing, and nutritious.
Please see our Turnip the Beet webpage for eligibility criteria. Submit your nomination form and menu to the Summer Meals Team inbox by Friday, September 8.
The Summer Food Service Program’s (SFSP) operation is coming to a close for the year. Here are a few closing reminders:
Submit your August & September claims!
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Food Service Management Contracted (FSMC) & Vended Sponsors – Correct your SFSP Average Daily Attendance (ADA) before submitting claims.
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FSMCs and Vended Sponsors cannot be reimbursed for any meals above 120% of the ADA. Update the ADA prior to submitting the claim for the excess meals to be reimbursed.
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Monthly claim data must be in "OK to Pay" status by 5:00 pm PT on the 15th.
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Didn't submit your claim by the 15th? That's okay! Submit your monthly claim by the 60-day deadline.
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August claims must be submitted by October 30th, 2023 and September claims must be submitted by November 29, 2023.
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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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Errors must be resolved for claims to be paid. WINS has multiple edit checks to help resolve issues before your claim is submitted.
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Pro-Tip: Always select “Preview Errors” at the bottom of each site claim once information is entered.
Store program records according to Record Retention requirements!
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Federal retention requirements are 3 years following the end of the fiscal year and until all audit and investigative findings have been resolved.
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The most restrictive retention requirement must be followed – check both the state’s & your local organization’s retention policies to determine if records must be retained for longer than 3 years.
Watch for next year’s program updates!
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Annual training is usually hosted in the early Spring and the SFSP application should open in April 2024. CNS SFSP Updates will end in September and should resume early next year!
Thank you to all SFSP sponsors for your work to provide nutritious meals to the children in your community! We’ll “see” you next year.
These short trainings (10 minutes or less) are designed to quickly train site staff on various topics about SFSP operations and their role. These trainings are supplemental and do not replace the staff training opportunities that you are required to provide. To create a Canvas account and join this course, please click here for the self-enroll link.
Training Topics
- Delivery Records for Satellite Sites
- Food Donation
- Food Prep Records
- Food Safety
- Meal Pattern
- Menu Planning
- Offer vs Serve in the SFSP
- Point of Service and Meal Counting
- Recordkeeping for Administrators
- Recordkeeping for Site Staff
- Reviewing Meal Count Records
- Serving Second Meals and Adult Meals in the SFSP
- Site Monitoring
- Special Dietary Needs in the SFSP
More About Canvas
Canvas is OSPI’s new learning management system and is replacing Moodle. Many features in Canvas are similar to Moodle; however, Canvas will provide a broader range of functionality for all learning styles. Moodle will no longer be accessible as of August 30th.
Canvas Support
Canvas has a robust support system. Select the "Help" icon and navigate to the topic area where support is needed.
Questions about Canvas? Please email Ben Brown, Professional Learning Specialist.
Questions about Training Requirements? Please contact your OSPI CNS Program Specialist.
Meal service locations and operations often change throughout the summer. As a reminder, meals served at unapproved sites or outside of the approved meal service schedules may be disallowed from the claim for reimbursement.
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If meal times or dates change, ensure your WINS site calendar is updated prior to the change in operation. Meals are only eligible for reimbursement when served during the State Agency approved dates and times per 7 CFR 225.16. Calendar revisions must be approved prior to meal service.
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For new sites, submit a site application and calendar, as well as update the budget to include the site’s projected operating costs. Email your program specialist if the site needs to be added to WINS.
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Site applications and calendars for new sites must be submitted prior to beginning meal service.
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For sites stopping operations, revise the site calendar with the last meal service date.
OSPI Child Nutrition Service (CNS) received two waivers for SFSP and Seamless Summer Option (SSO). These waivers allow sponsors operating approved outdoor meal sites, without temperature-controlled or indoor alternative sites, to operate as non-congregate sites on days when the area is experiencing excessive heat and/or air quality advisories. These waivers will allow sponsors to continue meal service should these weather events occur.
Excessive Heat Waiver Criteria
1. Non-congregate meal service may be offered only on days when the National Weather Service (NWS) issues a Heat Advisory, an Excessive Heat Warning, or an Excessive Heat Watch for the area in which an approved outdoor meal site is located.
2. This waiver may only be used when high temperatures could not reasonably be planned for and may not be used to respond to high temperatures that are typical of the area in which the site is located.
3. Approved outdoor sites must comply with congregate meal service requirements on all other days of operation.
4. Outdoor sites with an available temperature-controlled alternative site may not use this waiver and should serve meals at the temperature-controlled alternative site if the area is experiencing excessive heat.
Utilizing the Excessive Heat Waiver
Submit a request in writing to the Summer Meals team inbox within 24 hours of providing non-congregate meals. Requests must include documentation from the NWS. Sponsors must receive written approval from OSPI CNS to claim non-congregate meals.
Air Quality Advisories Waiver Criteria
5. Non-congregate meal service may be offered at outdoor meal sites with no alternative indoor site on days when the area is experiencing certain air quality advisories.
- The threshold for determining when non-congregate meal service is allowed will be based on metrics developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) .
- Sites may be approved for non-congregate meal service on days when the site's zip code has an Air Quality Index (AQI) "purple" flag or higher, as indicated on the AirNow.gov website.
6. For days when air quality is a concern, but the purple flag threshold is not met, FNS recommends sponsors with outdoor sites consider the outdoor activity guidance developed by the EPA and the CDC.
7. Outdoor sites with alternative indoor locations will not be permitted to serve non-congregate meals.
Utilizing the Air Quality Waiver
Submit a request in writing to the Summer Meals team inbox within 24 hours of providing non-congregate meals. Requests must include documentation from the EPA or CDC. Sponsors must receive written approval from OSPI CNS to claim non-congregate meals.
Questions? Please email the Summer Meals team.
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