An Introduction to School Nutrition Programs...An Introduction to School Nutrition Programs in Washington State . Child Nutrition Programs help fight hunger and obesity by reimbursing

An Introduction to

School Nutrition Programs in Washington State

Child Nutrition Programs help fight hunger and obesity by reimbursing organizations such as schools, child care centers, and after-school

programs for providing healthy meal to children.

Child Nutrition Programs

Funded through the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture)

Administered by State Agencies

School Meal Programs

National School Lunch Program

-Provides federal reimbursement for meals served to students. -Must offer free or reduced price meals to eligible children -Meals must meet meal pattern and nutritional requirements.

School Breakfast Program

-Operates in the same manner as the National School Breakfast Program.


Afterschool Snack Program

Federal assisted snack program for schools participating in the National School Lunch Program. Must provide an afterschool care program that includes education or enrichment activities in a supervised environment.

At-risk Afterschool Meals Program

A component of the CACFP (Child and Adult Care Food Program). Federal funding to afterschool programs that serve a meal or snack and provide educational or enrichment activities to children in low-income areas.


Special Milk Program

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

Provides milk to children in nonprofit schools who do not participate in other Child Nutrition programs. Schools receive federal reimbursement for milk served. Program must be operated on a non-profit basis.

Provides student in participating elementary schools with a variety of free fresh fruits and vegetables Program goal is to combat childhood obesity by improving children's overall diet and create heathier eating habits.


Summer Food Service Program

Established to ensure children in lower-income areas continue to receive nutritious meals during summer breaks. Can be a continuation of NSLP, called the Seamless Summer Option for summer school students or available to all children.

Food Distribution Program

Supports American agricultural producers by providing nutritious, USDA-purchased food. Available to agencies participating in the National School lunch program

Are you required to participate in Child Nutrition Programs?

No Federal requirement to participate

Washington State Requirements: Lunch program where ≥25% of enrolled K-4 students

qualify for free or reduced-price meals

Breakfast program for public schools with >40% of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals

Determining Student Eligibility for Free or Reduced Price Meals

1) By Direct Certification of Categorically Eligible Children

2) By Free and Reduced Price Application


Direct Certification of Categorically Eligible Children

Other Source Assistance Program Categorical Eligible:

Households: • Foster Care

• Basic Food • Homeless

• TANF • Migrant

• FDPIR • Head Start or Even Start

Direct Certification

-Washington State has an electronic system that matches data from DSHS with CEDARS data to produce a “Direct Certification List.”

-Use this list to directly certify students without further application.

-This system identifies Basic Food, TANF, and Foster Care children as automatically eligible for free meals. FDPIR and Other Source Categorical Eligible student data must be gathered from the appropriate officials and agencies.

Determining Student Eligibility

Free and Reduced Price Applications: • Provided by OSPI

• Collected annually at beginning of year • Must be processed within 10 days


• USDA sets income eligibility guidelines for school meals. • Income guidelines are based on the federal income

poverty guidelines. • Updated annually.

Determining Student Eligibility

Verification • Must annually verify eligibility of children from a

sample of household applications approved for free and reduced price meal benefits

What are the Program Requirements?

Plan meals to meet Meal Patterns • Based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans

• Specific for “grade groups” K-5, 6-8, 9-12

• Requires minimum amounts from food components: Meat and Meat Alternates; Milk; Fruits; Vegetables; Grains

• Specific nutrient requirements/limits for: Calories, Saturated Fat, Trans Fat, and Sodium




Document Prepared Meals • Production records that show how the meals

planned and offered meet or contribute to the meal pattern.


Serving Meals: Offer Vs Serve • Allows students to decline some of the food offered. • Reduces food waste and gives students a choice. • Specific rules about how much food needs to be offered

and how much and what choices a student may take for a meal to count as a reimbursable meal.


Meal Pattern Certification

• Certification that planned menu meets Meal Pattern requirements

• Provides additional reimbursement: 6₵ per lunch meal served

How much Reimbursement do you receive?


Civil Rights -Administer program services and benefits in accordance with all laws, regulations, instructions, policies, and guidance related to nondiscrimination in program delivery.

-Provide annual civil rights training to any staff that interact with program participants.


Food Safety Program -Implement a school food safety program that addresses food safety in all aspects of meal preparations and is based on HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) principles.

-Annually, two food safety inspections conducted by the state, county or local health department


Wellness Policy • Establish a local school wellness policy that includes:

- Goals for: Nutrition Education, Physical Activity and Nutrition Promotion

- Nutrition guidelines for all foods available on the schools campus

- Policies reading food and beverage marketing • Involve stakeholders and encourage public comment

and input • Assess progress and provide annual progress report


Smart Snacks • Requires all foods/beverages sold on “school campus”

during the “school day” meet standards for fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar and sodium

• Promotes products that have whole grains, low fat dairy, fruits, vegetables or protein foods as the main

ingredient.


Point of Service System • System to track and count how many meals were served and to what student (tied to student’s eligibility)

• Point of service is done at the time the student receives a complete reimbursable meal (meal that meets the meal pattern requirements)

• These are the numbers that will be submitted in the Claim for Reimbursement


Resource Management • Establish a nonprofit School Food Service Account:

Ensure costs are allowable (used only for the operation and improvement of the school food service) and net cash resources may not exceed three months’ average operating costs under the nonprofit school food service account

• Nonprogram Food Revenue: Revenue from non-program foods must generate at least the same proportion of revenue as they contribute to food costs


Resource Management, cont.

• Indirect Costs: Follow fair and consistent methodologies to identify and allocate allowable indirect costs to the

school food service account

• Procurement: Follow procurement guidelines

• Policies and procedures in place to safeguard and utilize USDA foods


Paid Lunch Equity

• Annually set paid meal prices

• Ensure sufficient funds are provided to the nonprofit school food service account for meals served to adults and/or students not eligible for free or reduced price meals by completing Paid Lunch Equity Tool


Written Policies and Procedures

• Special Dietary Needs

• Field trips

• Alternative Point of Service

Options to providing meal service

Food Service Self-Operated Management

Company

Agreement with another school or

Vended Meals institution participating in a

School Meal program


Self-Operated

• Responsible for all compliance

• Hire staff to supervise program, plan menus to meet requirements, prepare and serve meals, complete administrative tasks


Food Service Management Company

• Must comply with all USDA and OSPI rules and regulations.

• Specific contracting procedures

• Level of service varies depending on contract

• School is ultimately responsible for regulations being met


Vended Meals • Provides prepared meals to school


Agreement with school or institution

What steps do I take?

User Authorization form for WINS

WINS application (on-line)

Annual Program Renewal Application

(paper)

Menu Certification

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Where do I get help?

An Introduction to School Nutrition Programs...An Introduction to School Nutrition Programs in Washington State . Child Nutrition Programs help fight hunger and obesity by reimbursing

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