Nourishing News
September Updates
CACFP Updates
NEW! Child Nutrition Program Integrity Final Rule
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service published a final rule on program integrity to ensure that child nutrition programs are properly operated and managed to protect federal funds and taxpayer dollars. The final rule impacts regulations for the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program, Summer Food Service Program, and Child and Adult Care Food Program. Click the headline for more information.
Renewal Application deadline September 30th!!!!
CACFP Program Year 2023-2024 (PY24)
The program year for CACFP is now set to default to PY24. Please take note of the program year in which you are updating the application packet to ensure that the correct program year is being updated. When initially enrolling in the PY24 application, all data from the last approved forms in PY23 will roll to the PY24 application. Any subsequent updates made to PY23 once the PY24 application packet has been enrolled will need to be manually copied and entered into the PY24 application. Amendments made to site applications in PY23 will be reflected in PY24. Therefore, please ensure that only one program year application is submitted at a time to avert any confusion as to which program year the sites should be processed.
Important Reminder
CEs must be in good standing (and maintain their good standing) with the State of Texas Secretary of State (SOS) and the Office of the Comptroller of the State of Texas (Comptroller) while they're applying to participate/participating in any of the programs administered by the TDA Food and Nutrition Division. Failure to maintain a good standing status with either the SOS or Comptroller will result in denial of the application, and/or the CE being declared seriously deficient (which may lead to the termination of the CEs permanent agreement).
It's Farm Fresh Challenge Time!
Calling all NSLP and CACFP operators! October is coming and so is the Farm Fresh Challenge. Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to showcase your dedication to serving Texas products and engaging your students in garden-based learning. Pledge now to bring homegrown and healthy foods to your students and earn well-deserved recognition for your efforts. Pledges are open until September 13.
Pre-Award Civil Rights Compliance Review Form Revised
A revised Pre-Award Civil Rights Compliance Review Form has been posted and released. This was a minor update to reflect language in FNS Instruction 113-1 about Civil Rights compliance reviews within the two years prior to program application. The revised form can be accessed from the TDA website as follows:
School Nutrition Programs in the School Nutrition Programs Forms table
Summer Meal Programs in the SFSP Forms table
Child and Adult Care Food Program in the CACFP Forms table
Claim Processing Days - Tuesday and Thursday
The internal cut-off time for claim submission on processing days is noon. Our team will process all claims submitted before the noon deadline on the processing day. This deadline will ensure staff have adequate time to review your submission before sending your payment to the Comptroller. Claim submissions received after the deadline will be processed on the next processing day.
Important Information about Health Coverage among Child Nutrition Program Participants
USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have provided resources and important reminders for Child Nutrition Program participants with Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage in the wake of the end of the Federal public health emergency (PHE). Click HERE headline for more information.
Upcoming Training Opportunities
Important Notice:
Not all classes may be live on the ESC6 website yet. Keep checking back!
CACFP 101 Webinar: Farm to Early Care and Education: Procuring Local Products
Farm to early care and education offers increased access to local food sourcing, gardens, and food and agriculture education that enhances the quality of educational experiences in all types of early care settings. Join us to explore more about farm to early care and education and how to procure local products in your child nutrition programs.
Register HERE
Tuesday, Sep 19, 2023, 02:00 PM
ICN Online Zoom
National CACFP Association Upcoming Virtual Events
32nd Annual CACFP Conference
There are networking receptions, breakfast, a plated lunch, and so much more for you to enjoy. The conference program is up, take a look.
Monday, Oct 9, 2023, 08:00 AM
Long Beach, CA, USA
Summer Program Updates
Deadline Reminder October 9, 2023 - Summer Nutrition Program Operating Costs Report
Enhancing USDA’s Summer Nutrition Programs
As children return to school, we want to thank everyone for your ongoing partnership to combat summer hunger. Summer 2023 was the first summer offering grab-and-go or delivered meals in rural areas under a new, permanent option. In summer 2024 we will launch another new program providing food dollars to households with eligible children, so families can shop for healthy groceries during summer break. These new tools, which are in addition to in-person summer meal sites, help ensure equitable access to nutritious food and better service to our communities. View the summer nutrition timeline to learn more and support these efforts.
Resources
September is Food Safety Education Month
Plan for food safety! Your food safety plan helps to control food safety hazards that might occur at all points in food service (e.g., receiving, preparing, cooking, cooling, reheating, holding, packing, transporting, and serving). Observe Food Safety Education Month, by reserving a seat with our food safety partner, the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN), to learn how to write, update, revise, and manage a HACCP plan for school nutrition programs.
Whole Grain Resources
September is National Whole Grains Month. Here are some useful resources about whole grains and whole grain-rich foods.
· USDA Resource: Adding Whole Grains to Your CACFP Menu (English/Spanish) · NCA Resource: Identifying Grain Ingredients
Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs
The Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (FBG) is the go-to resource for determining the amount of food to purchase and the contribution that foods make toward meal pattern requirements. New food yield data continues to be added, with the latest additions being chokecherries, taro, apple banana, brown lentils, individually quick-frozen (IQF) red beans, and frozen cubed sweet potatoes. The FBG was also updated with foods that are similar to foods currently included in the FBG. When a user searches for one of these food items, yield data will display for that similar food. Users may use that data to determine how the food meets meal pattern requirements. This enhancement increases the diversity of foods listed in the FBG to include traditional Indigenous foods, such as bison, tepary beans, and salmonberries. Check it out and explore all the features the FBG has to offer!
Tips to Boost Your Meal Appeal
Boost Meal Appeal resources give menu planners the tools and ideas to create healthy meals that look appealing, taste great, and comply with federal requirements. This site provides tools to move ahead of the curve and offer a variety of foods as well as introduce new foods that children are sure to enjoy. For more information, TDA has collected best practices and planning items on SquareMeals.org!
Fruit & Veggies Database
For even more information about selecting and handling fruits and vegetables, check out the Fruits & Veggies database by our partners at Produce for Better Health. This database can be a quick reference when purchasing produce at the store, with selection criteria for over a hundred fruits and vegetables ranging from Apples to Zucchini.
Huntsville, TX 77340
936-435-8244
This guidance is not considered all inclusive.
Please see www.squaremeals.org for further guidance.
Note: If TDA makes changes to the website, direct links in this announcement may become void.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider. This program is funded by USDA.