covid-19 child nutrition updates weekly... · 2020. 5. 26. · you are encouraged to join the...
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Alabama Child NutritionCOVID-19 Weekly Updates
May 22, 2020 6th Edition
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More resources to come from ALSDE concerning:
Guidance and Considerations from the CDC associated with
Foodservice and Schools Click here for
CDC website
You are encouraged to join the webinar hosted by The Institute of Child Nutrition titled:
Strategies and Resources for School Nutrition Professionals to Implement CDC’s Latest Guidance Related to COVID-19.
*Important* USDA & State COVID-19 Memorandums PostedClick on the links below to view Q&As
▪ SFSP-NSLP SSO Nationwide Waiver Q&As
▪ FFVP during COVID-19 Q&As
Districts throughout Alabama continue to apply for the Baylor Emergency Meals to You (eMTY)
program and over 8,000 boxes (165,000+ meals) have been shipped to families in Alabama.
Update from Baylor:
Application deadline for school disticts is Tuesday, May 26 at 12:00 NOON, CST.
Through this process, we have worked with Districts to support the development of accurate, complete applications. From this point on, we will only be able to accept complete, accurate
applications that meet the following criteria:• Meet all stated eligibility criteria as outlined at www.mealstoyou.org, Include both the .pdf of the
application and an accurate, complete School List Attachment,• Are properly vetted and submitted by the appropriate State Agency, and Include the School
District and state names in the email subject line.
ALSDE GUIDANCE AND OUTREACH FOR eMTY:
**If your district or school is eligible to participate review the ALSDE guidance and visit the eMTY website to apply. Emergency Meals-to-You www.mealstoyou.org
Since 2009, the Baylor University Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty has been working to discover, developand implement research-informed solutions to food insecurity. The Meals-To-You (MTY) Demonstration Projectprovides crucial nutrition to children in rural settings who may otherwise be unable to access federal nutritionprograms. MTY was initially created as a common-sense response for rural communities where congregatemeals are impractical. Due to the success of the model, emergency Meals-to-You (eMTY) is being offered as aresponse to COVID-19-related school closures.
This program is primarily directed towards remote rural families, for whom traditional summer meal serviceoptions are a challenge due to distance and transportation, but can be adapted for other challenges, likeCOVID-19 quarantines and natural disasters.
**To be eligible your school district/school must meet all criteria listed below:• Closed for at least 4 weeks• Have at least 50% Free or Reduced-priced meal eligibility, or participate in CEP• Fall under the designation of rural based on:
➢ https://www.fns.usda.gov/rural-designation or➢ www.nces.ed.gov
If your School district is not eligible and you have schools that meet the above criteria you can apply on behalf of those schools.
Meals-to-You Deadline - May 26The Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty
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Summer Food Service Program
BREAK for a PLATE 2020
Providing Meals through Traditional SFSP as we move away from
Emergency Feeding SFSP Due to COVID-19
A note from Ben Guthrie, CACFP/SFSP Program Administrator
The traditional Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) will begin officially when the
school year has ended. The operation of the traditional SFSP will allow for
flexibilities with the extension of the COVID-19 waivers. This extension offers
program operators a chance to keep social distancing at a minimum by using the
following waivers through August 31, 2020:
• Non-Congregate Feeding: FNS is allowing meals to be served to children
outside of the normally-required group setting to support social distancing.
• Parent Pickup: FNS is allowing parents and/or guardians to pick up meals and
bring them home to their children.
• Meal Times: FNS is waiving requirements that meals be served at certain
standard times to allow for grab-n-go options. This also allows for multiple days-
worth of meals to be provided at once.
Click here for the information regarding the USDA waiver extensions.
If you have any questions or guidance concerning the waiver extensions for
CACFP/SFSP you can contact Kim Ruggles, [email protected] or Danielle Turk,
Wood Fruitticher & Merchants
Wood Fruitticher is open 7am to 12pm Monday-Friday. Staff is trying to telework when possible.Deliveries are not available on Wednesday and the distribution center is not open for visits or to pick upitems. Wood will work with SFAs to make special delivery arrangements if staffing is available.
Merchants Clanton Warehouse hours have been reduced and the facility is not open for visits or topick up items. Merchants will work with SFAs to make other special delivery arrangements if staffing isavailable. Your new contact is Sara Martin [email protected] (601) 584-4022.
Shortages/outages have always been a frustration to ALSDE Food Distribution:
• Manufacturing companies are either shutting down or slowing production in order to reduce employee'sexposure in their facilities.
• Distributors are not able to spend money on additional inventories because of the unmovable inventorieson hand.
• Substitutions will continue to keepa steady flow of inventories.• SFAs will be asked to approve substitutions. (Note: Prices may vary.)• ALSDE Food Distribution will continue to transfer USDA foods to SFAs who can use them for meal
service. Please keep ALSDE posted if anything changes that will prevent ordering USDA foods.
Make Note: ❖ Bethany Harrison has now moved to
marketing and the new contact is Sara Martin [email protected](601) 584-4022.
❖ Deadline to order first two weeks of groceries and leftover USDA Foods has been extended to June 15, 2020. This is a new process that will allow you to order any USDA Foods that are left over to be delivered in July and August.
❖ July and August delivery dates are now available on the Order Entry screens for both SWP and FD.
❖ If you choose not to order your school districts remaining USDA Foods that are at the distributors, let us know as soon as possible by emailing FoodDist@ALSDE@edu, so those
foods can be transferred.❖ Contact anyone on the Food Distribution
team if you have questions.
REMINDERS:
• Please do not send any raw meat productshome.
• Remember to send home cooking instructions• The list of items with a short shelf life changes
daily. Please communicate with your distributorto see what is available before placing an order.
• Unused USDA foods that risk going to wastedue to closings may be donated (preferably to
other SFA’s). Documentation must bemaintained for both party's inventory records.
• SFAs may utilize Wood Fruitticher or Merchantsfor program needs at this time.
• Please make sure all invoices are paid in atimelymanner.
• A special thanks to each of you for helping our
distributors stay in business by utilizing theinventory purchased to fulfill the state bids.
FOOD DISTRIBUTIONpage
USDA Nationwide Waivers and Flexibilities Approved
for ALSDE CNP during COVID-19 Pandemic
WAIVERS ARE IN REVERSE ORDER WITH MOST CURRENT INFORMATION FIRST:
• Response #25 – May 14, 2020: Nationw ide Waiver to Allow Parents and Guardians to Pick Up Meals for Children –
EXTENSION (August 31, 2020)
• Response #24 – May 14, 2020: Nationw ide Waiver to Allow Meal Pattern Flexibility in the Child Nutrition Programs
– EXTENSION (June 30, 2020)
• Response #23 – May 14, 2020: Nationw ide Waiver to Allow Non-congregate Feeding in the Child Nutrition
Programs – EXTENSION (August 31, 2020) Make note this w aiver refers to NSLP & CACFP
• Response #22 – May 14, 2020: Nationw ide Waiver to Allow Non-congregate Feeding in the Child Nutrition
Programs – EXTENSION (August 31, 2020)
• Response #21 – April 29, 2020: Nationw ide Waiver to Extend Unanticipated School Closure Operations through
June 30 2020
• Response #20 – April 29, 2020: Nationw ide Waiver of Annual Review Requirements for State Agencies in the
CACFP Extended to 9-30-2020
• Response #19 – April 29, 2020: Nationw ide Waiver of Food Service Management Contract Duration in the NSLP
and SFSP Extended to 9-30-2020
• Response #18 – April 29, 2020: Nationw ide Waiver of Local School Wellness Policy Triennial Assessments in the
NSLP and SBP Extended one year to 6-30-2021
• Response #17 - April 21, 2020: Nationw ide Waiver of Meal Service Time Restrictions in the Summer Food Service
Program and National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option. Extended to 9-30-2020
• Response #16 - April 21, 2020: Nationw ide Waiver to Allow Offer Versus Serve Flexibilities in the Summer Food
Service Program Extended to 9-30-2020
• Response #15 - April 21, 2020: Nationw ide Waiver to Waive First Week Site Visits in the Summer Food Service
Program. Extended to 9-30-2020
• Response #14 - April 21, 2020: Nationw ide Waiver to Allow Area Eligibility for Closed Enrolled Sites in the
Summer Food Service Program and the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option Extended to 9-
30-2020
• Response #13 – April 21, 2020 Nationw ide Waiver to Allow Meal Pattern Flexibility in the Child Nutrition Programs
– EXTENSION Extended to 5/31/2020 *SFAs must apply to ALSDE for this w aiver
• Response #12 - April 1, 2020: Nationw ide Waiver of 60 Day Reporting Requirements for January and February
2020 Deadline extended 30 CALENDAR days from original required date of submission.
• Response #11 - March 27, 2020: Nationw ide Waiver of Monitoring Requirements for State Agencies in the
Summer Food Service Programs Until the end of unanticipated school closure.
• Response #10 - March 27, 2020: Nationw ide Waiver of Onsite Monitoring Requirements for Sponsoring
Organizations in the Summer Food Service Programs Until the end of unanticipated school closure.
• Response #9 - March 27, 2020: Nationw ide Waiver of Onsite Monitoring Requirements in the School Meals
Programs Expires 6-30-2020
• Response #8 - March 27, 2020: Nationw ide Waiver of Monitoring Requirements for State Agencies in the Child
and Adult Care Food Program Expires 6-30-2020
• Response #7 - March 27, 2020: Nationw ide Waiver of Monitoring Requirements for Sponsors in the Child and Adult
Care Food Program Expires 6-30-2020
• Response #6 - March 25, 2020: Nationw ide Waiver of Community Eligibility Provision Deadlines in the National
School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. Extended to 8-31-2020
• Response #5 - March 25, 2020: Nationw ide Waiver to Allow Parents and Guardians to Pick Up Meals for Children
• Response #4 - March 25, 2020: Nationw ide Waiver to Allow Meal Pattern Flexibility in the Child Nutrition Programs
*SFAs must apply to ALSDE for this w aiver
• Response #3 - March 20, 2020: Nationw ide Waiver of the Activity Requirement in Afterschool Care Child Nutrition
Programs
• Response #2 - March 20, 2020: Nationw ide Waiver to Allow Non-congregate Feeding in the Child Nutrition
Programs
• Response #1 - March 20, 2020: Nationw ide Waiver to Allow Meal Service Time Flexibility in the Child Nutrition
Programs
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Click here for more information
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
STATE OF ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES
Pandemic-EBT Benefits Begin Rolling Out to Eligible Alabama Students
The Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) announced on Wednesday that Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT) benefits were received by more than 115,000 Alabama households over the weekend in Phase 1 ofthemulti-phase rollout. P-EBT benefits are being provided to households that have children in grades K-12who havetemporarily lost access to free or reduced-price school meals due to the COVID-19 pandemic.These benefits are designed to cover meals missed since the onset of statewide school closures onMarch 18th through the end of the school year on May 29th. Nearly $55 million in benefits, helping morethan 208,000 eligible children in Alabama, became available on Sunday, May 3rd.
▪ PHASE 1: Families that are currently enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)and have a child receiving a free or reduced-price school meal as a participant in the NationalSchool Lunch Program (NSLP).
▪ PHASE 2: Alabama children whose families are not currently active SNAP recipients but are eligible forfree or reduced-price school meals based on the family’s income. Those recipients will receive theirnew P-EBT cards in the mail over the next few weeks.
▪ PHASE 3: This group includes students who attend a community eligible school as defined by theCommunity Eligibility Provision of the NSLP but are not otherwise income-eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. Phase 3 includes nearly 74,000 Alabama school children. Letters to this group havealready been sent requesting them to verify certain information. Once thoseverifications are returnedto DHR, the new P-EBT benefits card will be sent on an ongoing basis over several weeks.
Alabama DHR Commissioner Nancy Buckner said, “This phased approach is successfully gettingnutritious, healthy food into the hands of those that need it most. The P-EBT program, through the USDAFood and Nutrition Service, is giving Alabama the opportunity to assist more than 400,000 Alabamaschool children and their families, who depend on free or reduced-price meals served at school. Ourstaff is working hard to get these benefits to children across the state to ensure that no child goes hungryduring this time.”
There is no application for the P-EBT benefit. Those eligible are already on file with the Alabama StateDepartment of Education (ALSDE). DHR is utilizing the ALSDE data to identify eligible households for thebenefit. The P-EBT program allows children to receive benefits equal to the National School LunchProgram (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) reimbursement rates, which is $5.70 per day, perchild. Eligible households will receive benefits retroactively for themonths of March, April, and May. P-EBTbenefits will allow households to receive an estimated (per child): $68.40 for March, $125.40 for April, and$119.70 for May, depending on the family’s eligibility for free and reduced-price meals.
Children may continue to access meals distributed by local school districts while receiving P-EBT benefits.The P-EBT benefits are active for 365 days from the date of issuance and are non-transferable. P-EBTbenefits may be used at any store that accepts SNAP and can be used to purchase SNAP eligible fooditems.
This is a multi-phase project that is expected to take several weeks to complete. After May 31sthouseholds who did not receive P-EBT and believe that they were eligible and possibly omitted duringthe automation process, may contact DHR P-EBT Customer Service at: 1-800-410-5827 or email DHR withinquiries at: [email protected]
Pandemic-EBT Cards To Go Out In Three Phasespage
FOR USDA TEAM NUTRITION COVID-19 ResourcesCLICK HERE
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USDA Non-Discrimination Statement
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil
rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions
participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on
race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights
activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program
information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact
the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of
hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800)
877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than
English.
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination
Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at:
http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter
addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To
request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter
to USDA by:
(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or
(3) email: [email protected].
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Click here
USDA SITE FINDER
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