The Dispatch
For New Child Nutrition Directors
November 2021
A Publication of ESC Region 11 Child Nutrition
Wellness Policy
WHAT IS A WELLNESS POLICY?
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History
Congress recognized that schools play a critical role in promoting student health, preventing childhood obesity, and combating problems associated with poor nutrition and physical inactivity. In 2004, Congress passed the Child Nutrition and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children Reauthorization Act (Sec. 204 of PL 108-265). This act required by law that all LEAs participating in the National School Lunch Program or other child nutrition programs create LWPs by School Year 2006. The legislation places the responsibility of developing a wellness policy at the local level so that the individual needs of each LEA can be addressed.
In 2010, Congress passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (Sec. 204 of PL 111-296) and added new provisions for LWPs related to implementation, evaluation, and public reporting on the progress of local school wellness policies.
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As Easy as 1, 2, 3, 4
The development of a LWP is a layered process. There are four main steps:
- Develop a formal LWP for achieving identified goals.
- Develop a plan for implementing the LWP.
- Assess the implementation of the plan toward meeting the CE’s written LWP.
- Document and retain records.
STEP ONE: Develop a Formal LWP for Achieving Identified Goals
It would be best if you choose which goals you want to address. You must work toward the required goals, but the district can also choose to add other goals.
Must include nutrition education & nutrition promotion through goals that address the following:
- Activities that promote health, wellbeing, and students’ ability to learn.
- Nutritional guidelines for all food and beverages available to be sold or given to students on the school campus during the school day, including food and beverages offered by the school nutrition program and outside of the school nutrition program. This includes fundraisers, school-sponsored activities, and non-school-sponsored activities that take place during the school day on the school campus.
Must describe how the following marketing issues will be addressed:
- Current district marketing guidelines for foods and beverages sold to students.
- Strategies the CE will implement to ensure that all future marketing for foods and beverages sold to students on the school campus during the school day meets the Competitive Food Nutrition Standards.
STEP TWO: Develop a Plan for Implementing the LWP
Must engage the following stakeholders in developing and implementing the LWP:
- Administrators
- Community members
- Parents
- Representatives of school
- Representatives of the board or governing body
- School health professionals
- School nutrition staff
- Students
Must assign staff positions to be responsible for the following tasks:
- Development
- Implementation
- Assessment
- Update
STEP THREE: Assess the Implementation of the Plan Toward Meeting the CE’s Written LWP
Each year the CE must review its LWP. A critical element of any assessment is the collection of data or information that is used for the assessment. Data or information about the LWP should be collected each year as part of the assessment. This includes, but is not limited to, the number of participants in program activities, documentation of policy changes, and survey data about program impact.
Triennial Assessment
Must establish a plan to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of its LWP at least every three years, including, but not limited to, an assessment of the following:
- Compliance with its LWP
- Alignment to model, evidence-based LWPs
- Progress made toward attaining the goals described in its LWPs
Must distribute the results of the assessments to the public.
May assess the implementation of its LWP more frequently and may include other areas or issues in its assessment.
Must establish a system to retain all records that demonstrate compliance with LWP requirements, including but not limited to stakeholder involvement, development, and implementation of the LWP, triennial assessments, public notifications, and marketing policy.
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WHAT ARE COMPETITIVE FOOD STANDARDS, AND WHEN DO THEY Apply?
FAQs:
What if food or beverages are given away to students?
A: If a student is given food and/or beverage items at no charge (no form of payment, donation, contribution), these items are not subject to competitive nutrition standards. Food brought from home or provided by parents in the classroom is not subject to competitive nutrition standards. If a ticket or token is given to a student for good behavior or good grades—i.e., a behavioral or performance award—and no money or other form of payment is exchanged in order to acquire the ticket or token, the exchange of the reward ticket or token is not considered a sale to the student.
What if a student orders food or beverages paid for off campus?
A: If the CE allows students to have food and/or beverages delivered to them on campus, students or their parents may order and pay for food and/or beverages off campus that do not meet the Competitive Food Nutrition Standards. These items can be delivered to the students and consumed on the school campus during the school day. In these cases, the delivery of food or beverages must meet local policies or regulations. CEs should include information regarding whether outside food and/or beverage deliveries on campus are permitted and any applicable policies or rules in the LWP.
What are the fundraiser rules?
A: Texas public, charter, and private schools that participate in NSLP or SBP may sell food and/or beverages as part of a fundraiser that does not meet the Competitive Food Nutrition Standards during the school day for up to six (6) days per school year on each school campus. Food and/or beverages sold during an exempt fundraiser must not be sold in competition with school meals in the food service area during the school meal service. CEs should include information on exempt fundraisers in the LWP to ensure that students, parents, and staff understand when fundraising exemptions apply. There is no limit on fundraisers that meet the Competitive Food Nutrition Standards. Any food and/or beverage item that meets the standards may be sold on the school campus during the school day.
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DEEP THOUGHTS
I WONDER....
ALL ABOUT MILK IN SNP
- You must offer milk to all grades.
- You must offer two types of milk.
- Milk can be substituted with a doctor's note.
- Milk substitutes must be approved by TDA. Review Section 7 of the ARM for milk substitute specs.
- For lactose-free milk, a doctor's note is not required.
WELLNESS POLICY WAIVER
USDA issued a nationwide waiver that allowed NSLP/SBP CEs to complete the first triennial LWP assessment by June 30, 2022. However, CEs electing to use the new deadline must have informed TDA by June 30, 2021, if they intended to use this waiver. CEs that elected to use the waiver must complete the second triennial assessment by June 30, 2025. Second assessments for operators that completed their triennial assessments by the original extended date of June 30, 2021, will be due June 20, 2024.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
In case you missed it:
October 2021
13 MRPC Region 10 Procurement Basics and Beyond training
14 The Monthly Rewind (virtual)
26 OVS/Food Buying Guide/MENU Module (in-person & virtual)
November 2021
2 Meal Patterns/Menu Planning (in-person & virtual)
11 The Monthly Rewind (virtual)
22-26 ESC Offices Closed
Upcoming
December 2021
6-8 Food Safety for Child Nutrition (Servsafe)
9 The Monthly Rewind (virtual)
14 The Dispatch: Meal Pattern & Buy American
20-31 ESC Winter Break
January 2022
13 The Monthly Rewind (virtual)
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ESC REGION 11 CHILD NUTRITION
Email: childnutrition@esc11.net
Website: https://www.esc11.net/childnutrition
Location: 1451 South Cherry Lane, White Settlement, TX, USA
Phone: 817-740-7545
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ESC11ChildNutrition
This newsletter is funded by the USDA/TDA. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
JK 11.11.21
NS 11/11/21