Wisconsin’s Direct Certification Process: Connecting kids to healthy school meals

1. Wisconsin’s Direct Certification Process: Connecting kids to healthy school meals Marisa MacLaren Abby Leonhart Outreach Specialists with Covering Kids & Families-Wisconsin (CKF) on behalf of the WI Department of Public Instruction

2. Direct Certification promotes increased participation in school meal programs • Simplifies the certification process for foster children and children in low income households to receive free meals

3. Benefits of Direct Certification • Saves schools and families time • Improves integrity of the process • More kids eating nutritious meals • More reimbursement for schools • Less paperwork • Fewer applications to verify

4. USDA Mandate: What’s required? For all schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (known as School Food Authorities or SFAs), Direct Certification MUST be run a minimum of three times per school year: • At or around the beginning of the school year (no later than end of September) • Three months after the initial run • Six months after the initial run • October before USDA collects information for Verification Summary Report

5. The Wisconsin Direct Certification (DC) User Guide can be downloaded from DPI’s Direct Certification webpage at: http://fns.dpi.wi.gov/fns_directcert Direct Certification User Guide

6. Requesting Access to the Direct Certification Program (DCP) https://www.dwd.state.wi.us/dcfdirectcert/ See page 4 of Wisconsin Direct Certification User Guide

7. Creating a DWD/Wisconsin Logon https://www.dwd.state.wi.us/dcfdirectcert/AccountCreation.aspx See page 4 of Wisconsin Direct Certification User Guide

8. Self-Registration See page 5 of Wisconsin Direct Certification User Guide

9. Web Access Request Form https://www.dwd.state.wi.us/dcfdirectcert/AccountCreation.aspx See page 5 of Wisconsin Direct Certification User Guide

10. Web Access Request Form

11. Web Access Request Form https://www.dwd.state.wi.us/dcfdirectcert/AccountCreation.aspx See pages 5-6 of Wisconsin Direct Certification User Guide

12. Student File Creation The DCP requires the student file to be saved in a “tab delimited text” (.txt) format and contain the following: • Last Name • First Name • Middle Initial (can be left blank) • Date of Birth See page 6 of Wisconsin Direct Certification User Guide

13. Logon for the Direct Certification Program (DCP) https://www.dwd.state.wi.us/dcfdirectcert/

14. Logon for the Direct Certification Program (DCP) https://www.dwd.state.wi.us/dcfdirectcert/

15. Uploading the Student File • Locate your student file to upload • Select your file to upload and click “submit” • The match process should only take a few minutes depending on the size of your student list • Your computer screen may show zero percent (0%) processing for a short amount of time; don’t worry, the system is working. See page 9 of Wisconsin Direct Certification User Guide

16. The Match File When file is returned by DCF: • DOWNLOAD file and SAVE to computer • PRINT a paper copy of the list from the state for your records See page 11 of Wisconsin Direct Certification User Guide

18. Eligibility Codes

19. Error Codes See pages 12-13 of Wisconsin Direct Certification User Guide

20. Extending Eligibility Household Categorical Eligibility • Benefits are extended to other children (not listed as eligible through DC) in the same household without an application if they are participating in FoodShare or W-2. • Benefits are not extended to other children in household with a foster child (unless the household is also participating in FoodShare or W-2). • Must document household composition and basis for extending eligibility USDA Policy Memorandum SP 38–2009 (August 27, 2009)

21. Notification Letter to Households • The SFA must notify the households of students directly certified and eligible for free meals • Must include how to decline benefits if they do not want free meal benefits See page 14 of Wisconsin Direct Certification User Guide

22. No matter when you run DC and directly certify a student, they are eligible for the ‘remainder of the SY’ and the 30 day carry over period. This means the entire upcoming school year and up to 30 operating days into the following year.

23. Commonly Asked Questions A student who matches via DC also has an application submitted. Which one do I use? DC overrides a paper application. Do not throw the application away.

24. Commonly Asked Questions Once we find out that students are eligible for free meals via DC, are they only eligible as of that day or can we back date to start of school or the start of that month? The approval date is the run date listed on the top of the match list. Approvals may not be backdated.

25. Commonly Asked Questions Once my list was received, I noticed that one sibling was found as eligible and another as an ‘N’? What does this mean as far as extending eligibility? Siblings and children living in a household that participates in FoodShare and/or W-2 are categorically eligible for free meals via DC, even if the Direct Cert system missed them.

26. Your Direct Cert Checklist! Remember the USDA mandate! Run DC before you conduct verification Run DC as often as possible throughout the year to ensure eligible students are receiving benefits • Review the updated Wisconsin Direct Certification User Guide for guidance and tips! • Create a DC folder on your computer • Run the first DC match at or around the beginning of the school year • Run once before parents/guardians register students for school meals

27. Direct Certification Resources DPI Direct Certification Webpage www.dpi.wi.gov/fns/directcert.html Policy Questions: DPI School Nutrition Team Email: DPIFNS@dpi.wi.gov Phone: (608) 267-9228 Technical Questions: DCF Service Desk Phone: (608) 327-0840 General Questions: CKF, Marisa and Abby directcert@ckfwi.org Phone: (608) 890-4783