Federal child nutrition programs

1. Rosemary O’Connell Kevin Maskornick USDA Food and Nutrition Service Child Nutrition Division October 22, 2012 Federal child nutrition programs

2. Objectives • Provide an overview of the Federal Child Nutrition Programs, their administration and structure • Clarify what is expected of those operating the Child Nutrition Programs • Answer questions about the operation of the Child Nutrition Programs • Provide a tutorial on how to access online information resources

3. www.fns.usda.gov/cnd

4. Organizational Chart

5. FNS Regional Offices NortheastRegion Mountain Plains Region MidwestRegion WesternRegion Mid AtlanticRegion SoutheastRegion SouthwestRegion

6. Administrative Flow FNS Headquarters Alexandria, VA FNS Regions - 7 State Agencies - 56 School Food Authorities – nearly 21,000 Schools – more than 100,000

7. Respective Duties Headquarters Regional offices • Legislation • Write regulations • Develop national policy • Implement regulations • Technical assistance • Program oversight • Management evaluations

8. Flow of Reimbursement

9. Child Nutrition Programs • National School Lunch Program (NSLP) • Afterschool Snack Service • Seamless Summer Option • School Breakfast Program (SBP) • Special Milk Program for Children (SMP) • Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) • At-Risk Afterschool Meals • Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) • Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP)

10. Child Nutrition Programs FY11 About 100,000 schools in NSLP About 89,000 schools in SBP Federal Appropriations for NSLP/SBP in FY 2012 are over $13.4 billion

11. Legislative Authority The National School Lunch Act • National School Lunch Program • Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program • Child and Adult Care Food Program • Summer Food Service Program The Child Nutrition Act of 1966 • School Breakfast Program • Special Milk Program

12. Regulatory Process

13. Regulatory Process • Proposed Rule • published for comments, not to be implemented • Evaluate comments • read/consider comments • Final or Interim Regulation • implemented; comments taken on Interim Regulation • Notices • announce routine updates

14. Regulatory Process • In order for the regulatory process to work, we need your help! • Your comments help us write our rules • www.regulations.gov

15. 7 CFR 210 The National School Lunch Program Regulations

16. SFA vs. LEA School Food Authority Local Educational agency • SFA – School Food Authority • Governing body responsible for the administration of one or more schools; • Has legal authority to operate a Program • LEA – Local Educational Agency • Governing body responsible for certifying and verifying F/RP school meal eligibility

17. Non-profit Food Service • Observe limitations on: • food service revenues sec. 210.14(a) • Competitive foods 210.11(b) • Maintain financial management system and account for all revenue and expenditures 210.14 • Money must be used for the meal program • Competitive food money must go to food service or school approved group

18. Procurement Free and open competition in procurement required and follow Federal, State and local bidding and contracting requirements Geographic preference allowed 210.21 Encourages purchases from local farmers Buy American requirement Domestic commodity or Produced in the US 51 % of the final processed product must consist of agricultural commodities that were grown domestically.

19. Price Lunch as a Unit • A single reimbursable meal is priced as a unit • charges for reimbursable meals cannot be assessed based on individual components

20. Point of Service Counts • Count the number of reimbursable meals served by type at the point of service or through another system approved by the State • Count meals where you can accurately determine: • if the meal meets component requirements • the eligibility status of the child

21. Meal Service • The lunch period is between 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. • Some exceptions apply • Schools must display signage explaining the components that constitute a reimbursable meal

22. Overt Identification • Make no discrimination against any child because of his or her eligibility for F/RP meals in accordance with the approved policy statement • SFA will not overtly identify students based upon their eligibility status • FNS recently circulated memo SP-45-2012 clarifying the prohibition on overt identification

23. Sanitation and Health • Obtain two food safety inspections per year • Develop food safety program/HACCP • Inspections satisfy the requirements for all child nutrition programs operating in the same service area

24. Retain Your Records • Upon request, make all accounts and records pertaining to school food service available to the State and FNS • Keep records for 3 (+) years • Records must be available for audit or review at a reasonable time and place

25. How You Get Your $$$ • Claim reimbursement at assigned rates. The SFA official signing the claim is responsible for review and analysis for accuracy. Failure may result in withholding, suspension or termination • SFA official takes responsibility for accurate claims • Edit checks verify accuracy of claims

26. How You Get Your $$$ Cot’d • File claims within 60 days • SA can shorten this period • Consolidated claims are OK • each school’s data is retained • Claim is for 1 month • combine months with 10 or less operating days (but do not cross fiscal years) • Report number of F/RP children and total enrollment on last operating day of Oct

27. Equity in School Lunch Pricing • Seeks to ensure that sufficient funds are provided to the food service account for paid lunches • Must be calculated annually • Information and PLE Tool updated in Spring for the upcoming School Year ool • Non-program Revenue Tool

28. National Average Payment Factors • The average per lunch rates for reimbursement of free, reduced price and paid meals • Adjusted annually – the rates of reimbursement change every year • New rates become effective every July 1 • Additional 6 cents reimbursement available this SY

29. Coordinated Review Effort - CRE • Now defunct---new administrative review process under development • Also covers general areas: • civil rights • reporting/recordkeeping • food safety... • State agency conducts reviews with occasional help from FNS staff • 3-year review cycle begins SY2013-14

30. NSLP meal requirements

31. Updated Meal Requirements • The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 mandated USDA to update school meals • Changes are effective: • July 1, 2012 (SY 2012/13) for lunches • July 1, 2013 (SY 2013/14) for breakfasts

32. New Dietary Specifications • Calorie minimums and maximums • More fruits and vegetables • Limit on sodium (gradual reduction over time) • Limit on trans fat (zero grams per serving) • Limit on saturated fat (less than 10% of calories) • Weekly averages • Nutrient analysis of meals conducted by State agency during administrative review

33. New Meal Pattern • Food-based meal pattern • Fruits and vegetables are separate components • Vegetable subgroups must be offered over the week • Dark Green • Red/Orange • Beans/Peas (legumes) • Starchy • “Other” • Fruits must be offered at breakfast and lunch • Skim milk (unflavored/flavored) and low fat milk (unflavored)

34. New Meal Pattern • Whole grain-rich requirement • In SY 12/13, at least ½ of grains offered during the week must be whole grain-rich • For breakfasts: SY 13/14 • In SY 14-15, all grains offered must be whole grain-rich • Lunches and breakfasts • “Whole grain-rich” = at least 50% whole grains and the remaining grains in the product must be enriched

35. Competitive Foods • Foods sold in competition with lunches during lunch periods (e.g., a la carte) • State agencies and SFAs must have rules to control the sale of competitive foods • Income from the sale of such foods must benefit nonprofit school food service • Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value are prohibited in food service area during lunch • See list in Appendix B of 7 CFR 210 (soda, gum, certain candies, candy coated popcorn...)

36. A School Store

37. Local Wellness Policy • Policy developed at the local level to enhance the school nutrition environment • Nutrition education and physical activity • Nutrition guidelines for foods available on campus during school day • Reimbursable school meal guidelines • A plan for measuring implementation • Community involvement

38. Children with Disabilities • SFAs must accommodate a child whose disability prevents him/her from consuming the school meal as prepared • Request a statement from a licensed physician’s that identifies: • Child’s disability • Why disability restricts diet • Major life activity affected • Foods to be omitted & offered

39. Children with Special Dietary Needs • Food intolerances or allergies are not considered, by law, a disability • SFA has discretion to make meal accommodations on a case-by-case basis • A medical statement from a recognized medical authority (as identified by the State) is required • For milk substitution only, a parent statement is allowed

40. Offer versus Serve • Intended to reduce food waste • Mandatory for senior high schools in NSLP • Optional for SBP and for NSLP at lower grades • Students may decline 2 food components at lunch, but must select a fruit or a vegetable

41. A Brief Overview Free and Reduced Price Meals

42. Eligibility • Household Application • Income eligibility • Categorical eligibility • Direct certification

43. Categorical Eligibility • Receipt of SNAP, TANF or FDPIR benefits • Eligibility extended to all children in household • “Other Source” status such as foster child or enrolled in Head Start • Individual eligibility • May be determined by application or direct certification

44. A Comparison of Applications Income application Categorical application • Last four digits of the SSN of signing adult • Current income • Frequency of income • Source of the income • Household members, including child • Signature of adult household member • Child’s name • Case number or indication of status • Signature of adult household member

45. Income Eligibility Guidelines (IEGs) • Used to determine eligibility for free or reduced price meals based on the family’s income • FNS makes these calculations based upon the Federal poverty guidelines as determined by the Department of Health and Human Services

46. IEGs Calculations • Children from families whose income equals 130 percent of poverty or less are eligible for free meals • Children from families whose income equals between 131 and 185 percent of poverty are eligible for reduced price meals

47. SY 2012-2013

48. Income and Household • Income • before any deductions (such as taxes, Social Security taxes, insurance premiums, charitable contributions and bonds) • Household • a group of related or non-related people living under one roof as one economic unit

49. Migrant, Runaway or Homeless Children • Migrant children in the Migrant Education Program • Runaways in the programs under RHYA • Homeless children under the McKinney-Vento Act

50. Foster Children/Head Start • Foster Children • Any foster child whose care and placement is the responsibility of the State • Any foster child who is placed by a court with a caretaker household • Head Start • All children enrolled in Head Start are categorically eligible