4/8 Child and Adult Care Food Program Newsletter

Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction sent this bulletin at 04/08/2024 03:11 PM PDT

4/8 Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Newsletter

Update: Recruiting CACFP Advisory Council Members
Update: USDA Proposed Rule, Serious Deficiency Process in CACFP and SFSP
Farm to CACFP Corner: Harvest of the Month - Beets
Farm to ECE: Community of Practice Call
Important Dates to Remember

Update: Recruiting CACFP Advisory Council Members

The CACFP Advisory Council is made up of 10 Sponsors that operate various components of CACFP throughout the state. The council helps bring Washington state CACFP concerns to OSPI and assists in driving changes to improve program administration.

There are currently two institution vacancies on the council. We are looking for non-profit institutions, independent Sponsors (Sponsors with one site), military, School District, ECEAP/Head Start, and tribal representation. If selected, commitment to the council includes monthly, one year meetings, and would run through December 2025.

If your institution is interested in joining the CACFP Advisory Council, please email CACFP@K12.wa.us.

Update: USDA Proposed Rule, Serious Deficiency Process in CACFP and SFSP

On February 21, 2024, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published the Proposed Rule entitled “Serious Deficiency Process in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)”. The proposed rule can be viewed here: Federal Register Notice

The USDA is proposing important modifications to the serious deficiency process in CACFP, extending the process to CACFP unaffiliated sponsored centers, and establishing a serious deficiency process in SFSP. These changes will improve consistency in language and process among statute, regulations, and guidance for both CACFP and SFSP, improve consistency in the serious deficiency process within and across States and strengthen program integrity.

Request for Comments

Written comments must be received on or before May 21, 2024 to be considered.

Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.

Please see USDA’s Serious Deficiency Process in the CACFP and SFSP webpage for more information, including a summary chart of proposed provisions.

To learn more, view the recorded webinar from February 29 titled “The Serious Deficiency Process in the CACFP and SFSP Proposed Rule”.

Farm to CACFP Corner: Harvest of the Month - Beets

To support Sponsors in integrating local foods into your meals, OSPI is excited to feature Harvest of the Month resource sheets. Each month we will highlight one local food that will be in season the following month. The resource sheets will include fun facts, nutritional information, selection and storage tips, recipe ideas, and educational resources.

For the month of April, we are featuring beets. Check out all our Harvest of the Month info sheets and other Farm to CACFP resources on our Farm to CACFP webpage.

Farm to ECE: Community of Practice Call

Join the Farm to ECE Community of Practice call on Tuesday, April 23, 3-4pm to share and connect with other ECE educators and professionals.

We will be discussing what's new in the Farm to ECE world, family input/engagement ideas around culturally relevant foods at preschool/childcare, and brainstorm ways to engage more partners via the network and COP. We hope to see you there!

Questions? Submit them to rey.cooley@unitedgeneral.org

Important Dates to Remember

April 15	March Claims Due by 5pm
April 23	Community of Practice call \| 3–4 pm
April 29	February 60-Day Claim Deadline —if you haven't already, submit your claim

ALL STUDENTS PREPARED FOR POST-SECONDARY PATHWAYS, CAREERS, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.

Led by State Superintendent Chris Reykdal, OSPI oversees K-12 public education in Washington state. Our mission is to provide funding, resources, tools, data and technical assistance that enable educators to ensure students succeed in our public schools, are prepared to access post-secondary training and education, and are equipped to thrive in their careers and lives.

ADA NOTIFICATION FOR OSPI CHILD NUTRITION SERVICES EVENTS
To arrange accommodations for persons with disabilities for OSPI Child Nutrition Services events, please contact the Child Nutrition Services Team at 360-725-6200, TTY 360-664-3631, or by email, child.nutrition@k12.wa.us at least three business days before the event. Please note that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not require OSPI to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its programs or services, or impose an undue financial or administrative burden.

This Institution is an Equal Opportunity Provider.

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This Institution is an Equal Opportunity Provider.