School Food Authorities (SFAs) and nonprofit organizations now have the option to operate the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) during the fall months while school instruction takes place. Alternatively, SFAs may also choose to continue to operate the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP). CDE’s School Nutrition unit asks all sponsors to complete the following steps no later than Wednesday, Sept. 16:
If your organization will operate the SFSP, please complete the following steps:
Complete the Excel site list document for all sites that will operate SFSP through Wednesday, Sept. 30.
Complete the Fall 2020 Operations Survey and attach the Excel site list document to the survey before submitting.
CDE School Nutrition will use this information to complete the 2020 SFSP application on your behalf. Please note that sponsors will need to complete a new SFSP application in the Colorado Nutrition Portal for operations beginning Thursday, Oct. 1 in order to enroll in the new SFSP program year. Additional details to follow.
If your SFA will continue to operate NSLP and SBP, please complete the following steps:
In light of the SFSP expansion announced on Aug. 31, CDE School Nutrition has requested that the USDA clarify how to claim meals served to students through the NSLP in July and August. CDE School Nutrition will share updates with you as they become available. In the meantime, claims for NSLP and SBP have been turned off until further notice.
Participating in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) requires sponsors to participate in annual training provided by CDE’s School Nutrition unit. For school year 2020-21, CDE School Nutrition will host a live webinar on Wednesday, Sept. 16, from 2:30- 3:30p.m. The FFVP training webinar will cover an overview of FFVP, highlight current flexibilities in place via waivers, FFVP operation during SFSP, financial management tips and leave some time for questions and answers. If you are an approved FFVP sponsor for school year 2020-21, the webinar link was emailed to the main contact.
If you did not receive the link or have additional questions, contact Erica Boyd at boyd_e@cde.state.co.us or 720-693-3232.
Sponsors that have difficulty meeting additional NSLP/SBP meal pattern requirements for the 2020-21 school year (e.g. vegetable subgroups, age grade groups, milk component, etc.) may request an exemption by completing thismeal pattern waiver form. View this resource for more information on waiver approval considerations.
Colorado Proud School Meal Day is Wednesday, Sept. 16. This gives schools a chance to celebrate Colorado agriculture and take advantage of the wonderful producers around our state.
Colorado is competing against other states in the Mountain Plains region (KS, MO, SD, ND, UT, WY, NE, and MT) to participate in the second annual Mountain Plains Crunch Off! We are competing to see which state can get the most “crunches” into a local apple, per capita.
Colorado crunches can take place any time from Oct. 19 to 23. To get started, register for the event. Upon registering, you can download the Crunch Off Guide with resources, tips, and information on finding local apples in Colorado. Please note that crunches may be held in-person or virtually this year.
The state with the most “crunches” will be crowned the Crunch Off champion and receive a prize. Help us take home the crown by registering now.
Join the student October Count and at-risk/free lunch reporting webinar
Join the School Nutrition Unit, in collaboration with the CDE School Auditing Office, on Thursday, Sept. 16, from 2 to 3 p.m. for an informational webinar on at-risk/free lunch reporting for student October Count. Participants will learn how to:
Define Student October Count data submission
Accurately report free and reduced-price eligibility
Maintain correct documentation for audit purposes
Use data validation recommendations
Staff involved in determining meal eligibility and staff responsible for October Count reporting should attend this webinar. To join the webinar, please click on this link: https://enetlearning.adobeconnect.com/fast/. No pre-registration is necessary. Login information is also on the School Nutrition training webpage.
Notify families that Wednesday, Sept. 23, is the last day to apply for Pandemic EBT (P-EBT)
There is less than three weeks to make sure eligible families apply for P-EBT and more than 200,000 eligible students still need their families to apply for these food benefits. These benefits are a vital supplement to the school meals programs operating this fall.
Please contact families in your district again via text and/or email to ensure they:
Know how to access P-EBT benefits
Have the State Issued ID (SASID) numbers they need to complete applications for students in their households
Learn of the Wednesday, Sept. 23, deadline to apply
Check out the P-EBT Outreach Toolkit or the CDE Communications Toolkit for materials in multiple languages. If you do not have the technology to send a text message to families, Hunger Free Colorado may be able to help. Contact Ashley Wheeland to explore this option.
The School Nutrition Unit is continuously working to support all that you do to run effective and efficient programs. Our main line of communication is the Dish; however, with things changing daily we know it is not always easy to stay up to date on all the new information and that many specific operation questions arise when new guidance is released. To support your individual needs and ensure that updated guidance has been received, someone from our office will be reaching out to you individually. Please use this time to ask any questions, problem solve, and provide feedback. Thank you for all you have done, and continue to do, to feed children in Colorado!
Tune into ICN's September webinar focused on food safety
Register for the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) webinar on Thursday, Sept. 17, in conjunction with the USDA Office of Food Safety in celebration of National Food Safety Month. The webinar will highlight a bird’s eye view of your food safety plan from beginning to end, as we aim to mitigate risks throughout the flow of food from purchasing to serving to transporting and traceability.
CDE School Nutrition is excited to announce we are hiring a Data and Evaluation Manager. This is an opportunity that combines data and evaluation expertise into one position. The Data and Evaluation Manager will ensure sound data and evaluation systems are in place to meet the unit’s strategic priorities. Please review the details in the job posting and share with anyone interested. The application closes on Wednesday, Sept. 23.
SUMMER MEALS PROGRAM
Summer Meals Program Updates
Learn the latest updates on operating SFSP this fall on Sept. 16
Next Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 1 p.m. attend an informative webinar on how to operate the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) this fall when students are learning in person or virtually. The School Nutrition Unit will answer your questions during a live Q&A following the presentation. Please submit any questions you have through this form and register for the webinar now. No professional standards training hours will be provided for this training. 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.
View Frequently Asked Questions about operating SFSP this fall
View these FAQs for more information on summer meals during the school year. The FAQs are updated weekly as updates are available. Sponsors can submit specific school year 2020-21 questions via the back-to-school question form.
SFSP meal pattern requirements and waivers
School Food Authority sponsors have the option to follow the SFSP meal pattern or the NSLP/SBP meal patterns. All other sponsors must follow the SFSP meal pattern. Sponsors that have difficulty meeting meal pattern requirements may request an exemption by completing thismeal pattern waiver form. View this resource for more information on waiver approval considerations.
