11/25 Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Newsletter

• Update: SP 05-2025, CACFP 04-2025, SFSP 02-2025: Guidance for Accepting Processed Product Documentation for Meal Pattern Requirements
• Update: FY 25 Administrative Review Process Changes
• Update: Child Nutrition Conference Scholarships Available
• Update: OSPI Menu Template Tutorial Available
• Update: OSPI Appeal Procedures
• Farm to CACFP Corner
• Important Dates to Remember

Update: SP 05-2025, CACFP 04-2025, SFSP 02-2025: Guidance for Accepting Processed Product Documentation for Meal Pattern Requirements

This policy memo provides Child Nutrition Programs operators, including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), with additional information and clarification on the State Agency monitoring process regarding the: 1) Child Nutrition (CN) label, 2) Watermarked CN label, and 3) manufacturer’s Product Formulation Statement (PFS). 

Key Updates

• Reflects updates to the CN Label Verification System.
• Clarifies the date of authorization found on the CN label versus the “Valid Until” date on the CN Label Verification Report.

Documentation Requirement Reminder

Valid and acceptable documentation for the CN label includes:

1. The original CN label from the product carton; or
2. A photocopy of the CN label shown attached to the original product carton; or
3. A photograph of the CN label shown attached to the original product carton; or
4. A CN label copied with a watermark displaying the product name and CN number provided by the vendor and the Bill of Lading (invoice).

CN labels that are photocopied or photographed must be visible and legible.

Update: FY 25 Administrative Review Process Changes

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has simplified the Fiscal Year (FY) 25 Administrative Review (AR) process. These changes will shorten the time it takes to complete an AR and reduce workload.   All AR documentation must be presented on the day of review. If documentation is missing or not provided, the AR will proceed without the requested documentation. OSPI will take fiscal action if meal pattern compliance, meal counts, or Free/Reduced-Price study month categorization are not supported with required documentation.   Study Month Review OSPI will review all study month documentation as provided during the entrance conference. If documentation is missing to verify Free or Reduced-Price Eligibility (F/RP) children will move to the Above Scale category and no grace period will be provided to obtain missing documentation. Examples of missing documentation include:  Enrollment and Income Eligibility Forms (EIEAs) Case numbers Social Security Numbers Clarification of income Head Start/ECEAP eligibility reports Please note, F/RP categorization changes may affect for-profit institution’s eligibility to submit claims if 25% Free/Reduced Price eligibility is not met for the study month and months thereafter. If for-profit facilities are no longer eligible, reimbursement will be recovered for months in which F/RP eligibility was not met. Sponsors will not be eligible to submit claims until a new study month is conducted to verify the 25% F/RP eligibility is met.   Consolidated Reports Consolidated reports help document accurate claim entry. Consolidated reports are now required for meal counts and attendance for FY 25 ARs. Attendance reports must be consolidated for the review month and the study month. Consolidated Attendance Template  Meal counts must be consolidated for the review month. Consolidated Meal Count Template  Questions? Contact your Program Specialist.

Update: Child Nutrition Conference Scholarships Available

The National CACFP Association is now accepting scholarship applications for the 2025 National Child Nutrition Conference (NCNC) on April 14–18, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. Apply for a scholarship today.

Fifteen scholarships will be awarded: Seven to attend the conference in-person, and eight to attend virtually. In-person scholarships will include conference registration, four nights’ lodging at the conference hotel, and up to $450 toward transportation costs.

Applications close January 10, 2025 at 8:59 pm PT. For questions, please email conference@cacfp.org.

Update: OSPI Menu Template Tutorial Available

In FY 25, CACFP sponsors are required to use the OSPI menu templates. These templates were created to eliminate common menu errors and reduce fiscal action.

Watch the CACFP Menu Template Tutorial to learn more about:

• Reasons for this change;
• How to use the Word & Excel templates; and
• How to submit your organization’s menu template for OSPI approval.

Select the “Menu Template” dropdown from our Meal Patterns and Menu Planning page to view all available templates.

The OSPI Menu Template (excel version) has been translated in to Spanish and will be available by December 1, 2024. 

Update: OSPI Appeal Procedures

Appeal procedures give USDA Child Nutrition Program sponsors an avenue to appeal when the OSPI takes adverse administrative action as required by federal regulations.

These procedures are specific in what actions are appealable and to what programs they apply. Appeal procedures are included in final letters summarizing Administrative Review findings and are available on OSPI's webpages.

• National School Lunch and Breakfast Program (NSLP/SBP) Appeal Procedures
• Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Appeal Procedures 
• Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Appeal Procedures

Questions? Please contact your School Meal Program Specialist.

Farm to CACFP Corner

Harvest of the Month

OSPI is excited to feature a 2024–2025 School year Harvest of the Month Calendar and resource sheets. Each month we highlight one local food that will be in season the following month. The resource sheets include fun facts, nutritional information, selection and storage tips, recipe ideas, and educational resources/activities. We are featuring Kuri Squash for the month of November. If you don’t have access to Kuri Squash near you or want to feature another food item, check out our past Harvest of the Month resource pages on the OSPI Farm to CACFP webpage under the Harvest of the Month drop down menu. 

Events and Webinars

Association of State Public Health Nutritionists (ASPHN) Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE) Webinars 

ASPHN is offering Farm to ECE webinars focused on innovations and ideas for Farm to ECE, especially as it relates to CACFP. These webinars are open to anyone. View the schedule and sign-up. 

Grant Opportunities

GroMoreGood Garden Grants: Deadline: January 10, 2025 National Head Start Association (NHSA) will award grants in variable amounts depending on demonstrated need and proposal in the application. Grants will supplement needs of existing garden projects, help launch new garden projects, or supplement/launch outdoor green space projects (land that is partly or completely covered with grass, trees, shrubs, or other vegetation and an option for children and the community to learn). Eligibility: Any Head Start program that is a current NHSA member. Applicants must have the plot of land in their possession at the time of the application with at least a two-year commitment for the garden to be on that property. Grant Amount: Grant awards range from $2,500-$5,000 to supplement needs of existing garden projects, to help launch new garden projects, or to supplement/launch outdoor green space projects (i.e. land that is partly or completely covered with grass, trees, shrubs, or other vegetation and an option for children and the community to learn). Awards will total $50,000.

Important Dates to Remember