School Nutrition Newsletter
June 10, 2020
COVID-19 Information and Updates
- The COVID-19 Newsletter page continues to be updated.
- P-EBT New Flyers in English and Spanish
- Re-Entry Guidance
- New Flyers/Handouts for Families about Meal Distribution
- IDOE - Planning for the Unknown in School Year 2020-2021 Webinar Slides Available
Indiana Food Day 2020 Toolkit Now Available
- IDOE is looking forward to a SPECTACULAR National Farm to School Month in October and we hope you join us in celebrating local spinach!
- One active piece of the Indiana farm to school movement has been the implementation of Food Day in the month of October to align with National Farm to School Month.
- Indiana Food Day encourages healthy eating and supports farm to school and other local food purchasing initiatives throughout our state.
- The Indiana Food Day Toolkit can be viewed here.
- To download your own copy, click here.
- IDOE wants to thank you for being an advocate for farm to school!
- Questions? Contact Maggie Schabel at mschabel@doe.in.gov.
Disclosure
- Don't forget! Sponsors are required to maintain strict confidentiality with free and reduced applications and eligibility information.
- Sponsors must ensure that data systems, records, and other means of accessing a student's eligibility status are limited to officials directly connected with administering the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).
- Teachers, principals, counselors and any other individuals not directly connected to processing f/r applications, conducting verification, and/or administering appeals, do not have the right to access eligibility information.
- Only the household member that signed the application can have access to that application or notification of eligibility.
- Sponsors are permitted to share eligibility information with other schools/organizations that operate a Child Nutrition Program (CNP), like the NSLP, Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), and After School Snack Program (ASSP).
- Schools must take every step to prevent overt identification. Think about:
- Registration - Do you have a special room or table where people line up to submit their f/r application? Is the application processed in front of the household (and potentially others waiting in line)? If so, you will need to adjust this process to ensure households can discreetly submit an application and receive notification of eligibility confidentially.
- School Software/POS - Make sure the software does not publicly label student eligibility to teachers, staff, and/or other students.
- Testing - Schools are allowed to share f/r eligibility for National or State testing (like ILEARN). However, only those who are "need to know" should have access to this information. The f/r eligibility should not be posted visibly for anyone who is not considered "need to know."
- To determine what kind of disclosure process you must follow, consult USDA's Disclosure Chart on page 86 in the Eligibility Guidance Manual and Indiana's Disclosure Chart (recently updated). Both resources are available on IDOE's disclosure webpage.
- Additional steps for disclosing information include:
Entering into an agreement or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with all involved parties.
Sending households information about disclosure (if no permission is required) or a request for disclosure (if permission is required).
To find templates of agreements and parent letters, click here.
For more information on disclosure requirements:
View the Disclosure Process Fact Sheet for step-by-step guidelines on the disclosing eligibility information.
Review memorandum, SP 16-2016, Disclosure Requirements for the Child Nutrition Programs.
View the Disclosure webinar from May. Click here to view the webinar.
Questions about disclosure? Contact Allie Caito-Sipe at acaito@doe.in.gov.
Effective Date Waiver
When an application is submitted by a household, the SFA has 10 operating days to process the application and notify the household of their free, reduced, or paid eligibility status. Only after the application is processed can that eligibility determination be applied.
If an SFA is approved for the Effective Date Waiver, then they can retroactively apply the free or reduced eligibility on the date the application was first submitted to the school.
Direct Certification eligibility can also be applied sooner with the Effective Date Waiver.
For more information, check out new Effective Date Waiver resources posted here. On this page access:
memos from USDA on Effective Date eligibility;
a fact sheet detailing the application and DC process using the waiver;
and the waiver request form.
An Effective Date Waiver coffee break webinar is available on inTEAM.
Questions about the Effective Date Waiver? Contact Allie Caito-Sipe at acaito@doe.in.gov.
Civil Rights Training Reminder
Don't forget! All schools are required to complete civil rights training each school year.
One person is required to view the civil rights training and take a quiz on inTEAM. That person must then train any other staff that work with the Child Nutrition Programs.
Click here for the inTEAM user guide.
A printable PowerPoint, script, and post-test of the training are also available to use to train other staff.
Remember to record the date the training took place, the names of staff that attended, and all of the topics covered.
Questions? Contact Maggie Schabel at mschabel@doe.in.gov.
Free and Reduced Fact Sheets Updated
- IDOE has updated the free and reduced fact sheets for schools.
- Fact sheet topics include:
30 Day Carryover
Appeal Process
Approval Categories
Direct Certification
Foster Benefit Approval
Free and Reduced Process Quick Start
Homeless Benefit Approval
Identifying a Completed Application
Medicaid Benefit Approval
Migrant Benefit Approval
No Income Application Approval
Notification of Free and Reduced Eligibility
School Employee Applications
SNAP and TANF Benefit Approvals
Transferring Eligibility
- These fact sheets can be found here.
Indiana Department of Education - School and Community Nutrition
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this newsletter, please contact Allie Caito-Sipe at acaito@doe.in.gov, call (317) 232-0849, or toll-free at 1-800-537-1142 ext. 20849, or contact Ashley Heller at aheller@doe.in.gov, call (317) 232-0544, or toll-free at 1-800-537-1142 ext. 20544.
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Website: https://www.doe.in.gov/nutrition
Phone: (317) 232-0850
Twitter: @EducateIN