TDA has identified compliance issues arising at unaffiliated At-Risk sites managed by sub-sponsors that themselves are not affiliated with the location of service or the enrichment being provided at the location. Some of these sub-sponsors are signing site agreements with Contracting Entities to provide the meal service only (a circumvention of vended meal vendor procurement processes) and/or are taking over administrative tasks that should be performed by the primary sponsor.

Beginning February 16 and no later than June 30, all sponsors of unaffiliated At-Risk Sites are required to submit a questionnaire/attestation form confirming that they are conducting all required oversight functions at their unaffiliated sites and that those sites are responsible for the oversight of a complete afterschool enrichment program.

For any site that TDA has not received an attestation form by June 30, 2024, it will begin closing those sites in TX-UNPS with an effective closure date of September 30, 2024. All sponsors of unaffiliated At-Risk sites must complete this form on behalf of all allowable sites.

TDA will be holding a webinar for At-Risk sponsors on February 21. Please continue to monitor SquareMeals.org for news, FAQs, and the webinar registration link. TDA will also begin sending out bi-weekly reminders to all applicable sponsors beginning in mid-February.

If a school closes due to an unanticipated event and wants to serve students during the closure, the school district must choose an appropriate Program to operate (SFSP, SSO, or CACFP At-Risk) and notify TDA via the newly released Unanticipated School Closure Notification Form. The form also captures whether the district will choose to serve non-congregate meals. More guidance related to unanticipated school closures is available in the School Year 2023-2024 FAQs (https://squaremeals.org/Portals/8/FND%20Forms/Program%20Forms/FAQs_SY_2023-2024_Operations_230713_REV_1.pdf ) - this guidance will also be added to the ARM in a future update. The Unanticipated School Closure Notification Form is available permanently on the NSLP Administration/Forms page (https://squaremeals.org/Programs/National-School-Lunch-Program/Administration-Forms ).

CACFP Week is a national education and information campaign sponsored annually by the National CACFP Sponsors Association.

The campaign is designed to raise awareness of how the USDA's Child and Adult Care Food Program works to combat hunger and bring healthy foods to the table for adults in day care and children in child care homes, centers, and in afterschool and summer meal programs across the country.

Implementation Toolkit

The Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) wants you to join their task force to identify and bridge gaps in their training resources. Starting in March, attend a series of four virtual meetings with other child nutrition professionals where you’ll share your thoughts with ICN staff! Complete the interest form here.

Registration has begun for MEGACON - TDA's annual comprehensive training event for federal nutrition programs! Registration has already topped 450 people. A hotel room block is available for our attendees. Join in this fun and educational event May 14-16 in Austin. Don't be late - register TODAY! Visit SquareMeals.org for more information.

The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) recommends registering with the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) on the ICN Website. ICN offers a wide range of self-paced trainings to help you navigate the complexities of CACFP. Their resources cover various aspects of the program, including nutrition, meal planning, and compliance.

The Summer 2024 reimbursement rates for SFSP have been posted on SquareMeals. Please see the Reimbursement Rates for Summer Meal Programs page for more information.

Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) training is required for all Contracting Entities (CEs) this year. There are several options to receive training online and in person. Visit SFSP-Training on SquareMeals for more information and dates for ESC training opportunities.

Renewing CEs must complete the SFSP training prior to the initial TX-UNPS renewal application submittal. If the training cannot be verified by TDA upon application submittal, the application will be returned and will not be reviewed until the SFSP Annual Training has been verified.

SFSP Annual Training is required for everyone listed on the Contracting Entity Application that is noted as responsible for the food service.

USDA issued an Interim Final Rule at the end of December outlining the new regulations allowing SFSP and SSO operators in rural areas to provide non-congregate meal service to participants. Stay tuned to the newsletters and SquareMeals.org for more information on how to apply!

USDA issued an Interim Final Rule at the end of December outlining the new regulations allowing SFSP and SSO operators in rural areas to provide non-congregate meal service to participants.

Because this is an Interim Rule, the regulations go into effect immediately but may be altered in the future based on comments received from Program operators, the general public, and State Agencies. The Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, invites interested persons to submit written comments on this interim final rule no later than April 29, 2024. Comments may be submitted in writing by one of the following methods:

-- Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.

-- Mail: Send comments to Community Meals Policy Division, USDA Food and Nutrition Service, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314.

TDA is currently updating the non-congregate application form from 2023 to align with the new regulations. An updated request form, FAQs, and guidance are currently under development. Stay tuned to the newsletters and the dedicated Non-Congregate Summer page on SquareMeals.org (https://squaremeals.org/Programs/Summer-Meal-Programs/Summer-Non-Congregate-Feeding-Program ) for more information coming soon!

As part of our ongoing efforts to streamline processes, the SFSP Management Plan is now integrated into the TXUNPS platform.

Who Needs to Complete the Management Plan? New Contracting Entities (CEs), renewing SFSP CEs who operate ONLY SFSP, and those CEs who received a temporary Serious Deficiency determination in SFSP PY23, CACFP PY23 and CACFP PY24 are required to complete the management plan as part of the application process.

Accessing the SFSP Management Plan: To access and complete the SFSP Management Plan, please log in to the TXUNPS platform. Detailed instructions and resources are available within the platform to guide you through the process.

• January 15, 2024 - Application Packets open in TX-UNPS.
• March 15, 2024 - Last day to submit Application Packets in TX-UNPS to TDA if CE is requesting advance payments. Application Packets submitted in TX-UNPS after this date will not be eligible to receive advance payments for summer 2023.
• April 15, 2024 - Last day to submit the SFSP Intake Form via squaremeals.org to initiate the potential applicant review process. Last day to submit the SFSP Application Packet in TX-UNPS for all renewing SFSP CEs that are Not in Good Standing (including CEs with a temporary deferred Serious Deficiency [SD]) for SFSP 2022, CACFP 2022 and/or CACFP 2023.
• May 1, 2024 - Last day to submit Application Packets for all other renewing CEs.

Two exciting new features have been added to the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (FBG) Interactive Web-based Tool. Both features are available under the Tools menu on the toolbar:

• Interactive flow chart on using the preparation yield walks users through when to use the Preparation Yield factor in the Recipe Analysis Workbook (RAW).
• An Ounces to Pounds Calculator allows users to easily convert ounces to pounds and pounds to ounces to make converting units a breeze!

New foods are also available in the FBG! New additions consist of USDA Foods frozen mixed vegetables and a variety of meat items including 11-, 43-, and 48-ounce pouched tuna; boneless, skinless chicken thighs; ground mutton, mutton shoulder chops and stew meat; catfish fillets; and USDA Foods canned pork. Stay tuned for additional yield data releases.

Sugar snap peas and cheese cubes

FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) has released an improved Food Allergy Academy. Explore instructor-led classes, self-guided courses, and live webinars covering a variety of food allergy topics! Be ready to feed your participants safely. Visit here for more information.

Use the following email contacts for technical assistance related to federal nutrition programs in partnership with the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA).

• Child and Adult Care Food Program: CACFP.BOps@TexasAgriculture.gov
• National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Seamless Summer Option, Special Milk Program, and Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program: NSLP-SBP.BOps@TexasAgriculture.gov
• Summer Food Service Program: SFSP.BOps@TexasAgriculture.gov