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Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans final rule covers a broad range of Child Nutrition Programs provisions, including, but not limited to, the expansion of the geographic preference option.
The SFSP 13-2024, SP 22-2024, CACFP 08-2024: Geographic Preference Expansion Related to the Final Rule titled, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans memo explains the expanded geographic preference option, including the allowance of local as a specification to ease challenges related to buying local products and to promote Child Nutrition Sponsors as a market for local producers.
Beginning July 1, 2024, Sponsors may choose to:
- Use local (e.g., “locally grown”, “locally raised”, or “locally caught”) as a specification for local unprocessed agricultural products;
- Use a defined scoring advantage for local unprocessed agricultural products;
- Adopt a mix of both strategies; or,
- Elect not to use any of these approaches.
USDA is updating existing guidance and fact sheets to help program operators procure local foods using the expanded geographic preference option. These resources will be available on the USDA Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program website at: www.fns.usda.gov/f2s/farm-to-school
Join USDA Farm to School Team for a Webinar!
Register for the Expanded Geographic Option in the Final Rule webinar
Date: Thursday, June 20
Time: 11am–12pm PST
Questions about the Final Rule? Contact your Program Specialist or email CACFP@k12.wa.us.
The goal of the CACFP is to provide federal funds to facilities to enhance meal service and ensure nutritious meals and snacks are served while participants are in care.
If children attend Head Start socialization events with a parent, they are not technically in the care of the facility. If the child is not in the care of the facility, meals are not eligible for reimbursement and cannot be claimed.
If you answer “Yes” to any of the following questions, meals cannot be claimed during your socialization events.
- Do the parents attend the socialization?
- Is the child in the care of the parents while in attendance?
- Is the parent ultimately responsible for the child if something was to occur while on site?
Questions? Contact your CACFP Program Specialist.
Sponsors that operate CACFP may accept electronic signatures on Enrollment Income Eligibility Forms (EIEAs) if specific requirements are met. Additionally, Sponsor’s electronic signature policies must be approved by OSPI prior to accepting signatures on Enrollment Income Eligibility Forms (EIEAs). If electronic signatures are used on EIEAs without OSPI approval, the EIEA is considered invalid.
Sponsor Requirements
- Capability of accepting and providing legally binding electronic signatures.
- Processes must ensure and maintain confidentiality of information.
- Electronic signature policy must meet at least a Level 2 identity authentication assurance level. This is accomplished by requiring multi-factor authentication for identity proofing (ex. password and a non-static pin).
- Assess potential risks, harm, impact, or the likelihood of such harm or impact.
For important considerations and best practices, review the Electronic Signature Reference Sheet.
Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) sponsors must complete OSPI’s required training annually to continue participation in the Program.
Who Must Attend Annual Training?
- All institutions participating in the CACFP.
- All institutions planning to participate in the CACFP in Fiscal Year 2024–25 (FY25).
- At a minimum, the person responsible for oversight of the CACFP must attend. This training is intended for directors and administrators.
How Will Annual Training be Conducted for FY25?
Recorded Training Modules—Required
CACFP required training will be provided as recorded training modules in Canvas, OSPI’s learning platform. These modules will be available to view in July and include:
- Annual Updates Training
- Procurement Training
- Civil Rights Training
In Person and Virtual Trainings-Required for certain Sponsor types
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Training
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Sponsor Type
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Required
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Date
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Location
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The Basics for Multi-Site Sponsors
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Independent Sponsors transitioning to oversight at multiple sites
or
Multi-site Sponsors assigned as Corrective Action during an Administrative Review
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Yes
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TBD - July/Aug
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Everett
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CACFP in ECEAP & HeadStart
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ECEAP & HeadStart Grantees
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Yes
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August
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Virtual Webinar
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Bringing your At-Risk Operation into Compliance
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Local Education Agency CACFP At-Risk Sponsors
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Yes- Sessions will be offered during NSLP annual training
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August 1
August 13
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Spokane
Burien
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Oversight at Unaffiliated Sites
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Sponsors of Unaffiliated Sites
and
Family Day Care Home Sponsors
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NO
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Sept. 24
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Ellensburg
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Watch for upcoming CNS Updates for required training links and in-person training dates, locations, and registration information.
OSPI is hosting an in-person training for Independent Sponsors who would like to become a Sponsor of multiple sites. This training will be required to transition to a multi-site Sponsoring Organization in FY 25. If you are interested in expanding your CACFP oversight to more than one site, please complete our Multi-Site Sponsoring Organization Interest Survey.
Multi-site Sponsors have additional responsibilities including monitoring all sponsored sites, and completing a Management Plan and Budget in WINS. For more details on these requirements, please review the resources below.
Resources:
The renewal closing date for the current program year is June 30, 2024.
If your organization is planning to operate the CACFP during August or September 2024 and is not operating the program this school year, you must complete the program renewal application in WINS no later than June 30, 2024.
Sponsors most affected by this change are those who plan to operate At-Risk or Pre-school programs.
To start the FY 24 renewal process, refer to the CACFP Application and Renewal Reference Sheet and the CACFP Preparing to Complete Renewal Application Checklist.
Questions? Contact your Program Specialist.
 The National CACFP Sponsors Association (NCA) is hosting a 2-day virtual summit on August 14–15, 2024 and August 21–22, 2024. Training will be available on demand until the end of August for those who can't make the live trainings dates.
NCA is awarding up to 100 scholarships for free registration! Apply here by July 24, 2024.
Below is a sample of training sessions (17.5 hour of CEUs) with more information about the sessions, presenters, and scholarship opportunity on NCA’s website and in their digital brochure.
- Exploring the Power of the Food Program
- USDA Program Updates & Resources
- Menu Essentials: Planning for Success
- Who's at the Door? Field Monitoring & Site Visits
- The Joys of the Garden Classroom
- CACFP Expense Detective: What's Allowed?
- Great Grains! Taking the Guess Work Out of What’s Creditable
- CN Labels & Product Formulation Statements: Hands-On Practice
Harvest of the Summer
To support sponsors in integrating local foods into your meals, OSPI is excited to feature Harvest of the Summer resource sheets. Each week for the month of July and August we will highlight one local food that will be in season. The resource sheets will include fun facts, nutritional information, selection and storage tips, recipe ideas, and educational resources/activities.
For July, we are featuring Spinach, Rhubarb, Raspberries, and Cucumbers. You can find these, and future Harvest of the Summer resource sheets on our Farm to CACFP webpage.
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