The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), on May 15, announced the extension of several program flexibilities available through nationwide waivers:
Non-congregate feeding extended to Aug. 31
Parent pickup extended to Aug.31
Meal service times extended to Sept. 30
Meal pattern flexibility extended to June 30
The School Nutrition Unit will also seek an extension from USDA on the waiver that allows sponsors to operate Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sites that do not meet area eligibility requirements. Sponsors can view all current and pending program waivers on the school nutrition waiver webpage.
Pandemic-Electronic Benefits Transfer approved in Colorado
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) created the Pandemic-Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program to provide nutritional resources to households that are losing access to free or reduced-price school meals due to school closures in Colorado in response to COVID-19. The Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS), in collaboration with the Colorado Department of Education (CDE), received approval from USDA on May 18 to administer the P-EBT program. Households participating in the P-EBT program will receive an EBT card with the value of the free school breakfast and lunch reimbursement rates for the days schools are closed. Each eligible household will receive an extra benefit of $5.70 per child per closed school day.
The P-EBT program is a resource to support individuals and households impacted by the public health crisis. While the program is intended to assist with the cost of meals lost as a result of school closures, it does not replace grab-and-go meals from school sites. Households are encouraged to use both resources. CDHS and CDE are working to provide further guidance regarding next steps for how families can apply for the P-EBT program. For more information visit the Food Research and Action Center P-EBT website.
Registration is now open for the SFSP training webinar 2 - 3 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2. This webinar will provide a high-level overview of SFSP requirements and discuss program flexibilities related to waivers. Sponsors operating SFSP for the first time or main contacts seeking additional guidance about SFSP operations during the COVID-19 pandemic are invited to tune in. Submit questions using this online form to ensure your training needs are addressed. If you do not receive a confirmation email after registering, please work with your IT department to add admin@adobeconnect.com to your safe sender's list.
The April emergency feeding claim submission form was sent to main claim contacts on April 30. Use the Emergency Feeding Claiming Instructions (XLS) for more information about how to submit emergency feeding claims. Sponsor application contacts who did not receive the Smartsheet claim submission form or need to make claim submission changes should contact free&reducedpriceschoolmeals@cde.state.co.us.
Outreach and Partner Updates
Increase meal access with Blueprint to End Hunger’s free marketing and social media toolkit
Partners of the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger have developed a free suite of social media graphics and outreach content to market school meals across communities. Resources can be edited to fit various needs and are available in English and Spanish on the Blueprint to End Hunger's COVID-19 Resources webpage.
The School Nutrition Association (SNA) invites members and non-members to join its free COVID-19 webinar series that provides timely information and resources concerning COVID-19. Below is an upcoming webinar:
Community Eligibility Provision data reporting due May 29
All sponsors are federally required to annually report site-level data, totals of identified and enrolled students, to determine eligibility for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). The following timeline outlines the CEP process:
Friday, May 29 - All sponsors must submit current year data, as of May 1, 2020, in the Colorado Nutrition Portal.
Monday, June 15 - School Nutrition Unit will notify sponsors of district-wide and specific site eligibility and publish this information on the CEP webpage.
Tuesday, June 30 - Eligible sponsors interested in implementing CEP must notify the School Nutrition Unit.
Identified students include any student who has been certified for free school meals without the use of a household application. This refers to students directly certified with documentation from:
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Extended eligibility with SNAP
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF, Basic Cash Assistance and State Diversion only)
Extended Eligibility with TANF
Federal Distribution Program on Indian Reservation (FDPIR)
Foster children certified through means other than an household application
Migrant children certified by a migrant coordinator
Runaway and homeless youth, as defined under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Act, or under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act.
Children enrolled in a federally funded Head Start Program, or a comparable state funded pre-kindergarten program
Students approved by a local education official
Do not include students with free benefits from income applications in the identified student total. No extensions will be granted.
2020-21 site mandatory participation in Breakfast After the Bell Nutrition Program released
The Breakfast After the Bell Nutrition Program (BABNP) requires public schools to offer a breakfast at no charge to each student enrolled in a public school that has 70% or more students who are eligible for free or reduced price meals under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Sites mandated to participate in BABNP for the 2020-21 school year have been released and are available on the BABNP website.
Breakfast After the Bell Nutrition Program is specific to the NSLP and does not apply to the Summer Food Service Program. Given the uncertainty of the beginning of the next school year, the School Nutrition Unit will communicate any guidance related to Breakfast After the Bell as it becomes available.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act 2020 provided $30 million to state agencies to competitively award USDA equipment assistance grants to eligible School Food Authorities (SFAs) beginning in the 2020-21 fiscal year. Colorado received approximately $320,000 and the application will open in the fall on the grants and awards page. Updates will be announced in the Dish when available.
