Food Service Staff Education and Training
Information for the new School Nutrition Program (SNP) professionals and an overview of the School Nutrition and Summer Nutrition Programs, online trainings, resources, and program contact information.Overview
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers the federal Child Nutrition Programs (CNP); the California Department of Education (CDE) Nutrition Services Division (NSD) is the oversight agency for the following CNPs in California: the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), NSLP Afterschool Snack Program (NSLP ASP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Special Milk Program (SMP), Food Distribution Program (FDP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), and NSLP Seamless Summer Option (SSO). Additionally in concert with the NSLP and SBP, the state of California has a state meal mandate often referred to as the Universal Meals Program (UMP) which requires public school districts, county offices of education and charter schools to offer, at no cost, a nutritiously adequate breakfast and lunch that complies with the SBP and NSLP meal standards to all students each school day.
The successful implementation of these programs requires a strong understanding of the federal and state laws, policies, and procedures that govern and direct them. To that end, the CDE has assembled key resources and recommendations to help orient new food service staff to these requirements. While there are additional CDE NSD resources, trainings, and supports available on a broader range of school nutrition topics, this page provides a starting point for new staff by highlighting only the critical elements.
- Web Guide
- Overview of SNPs
- Policy
- Training
- Town Halls
- Important Dates
- Resources
- Definitions
- Contacts
Important Dates
Below are dates that may be important to program operators of the CNPs. The dates will include general application timeframes, grant and recognition programs, celebratory occasions and more. As the specific dates become available each year, you can select the links in the descriptions for more information.
For a consolidated SNP Task Checklist of monthly to-do’s, due dates, and reminders, visit Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS) website, select the School Nutrition Programs box, select Applications, scroll down and select Download Forms, and scroll down and select Form ID SNP Task Checklist.
Title | Dates | Category | Description and Links |
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NSD Town Hall Meetings | Monthly: The Town Hall Meetings are typically the 4th Tuesday each month at 2 p.m. | Communication | The monthly School Nutrition Program (SNP) Town Hall meetings are facilitated by the NSD. The Town Hall meetings review policy, provide reminders about upcoming deadlines, share best practices, announce funding opportunities, and address questions. The Town Halls are announced on the CDE Nutrition What's New web page, under the Training tab. Live Town Halls are held on the 4th Tuesday of every month at 2 p.m. After the meeting, the PowerPoint slide deck is posted in this Food Service Staff Education and Training web page, under the Town Halls tab. |
Claim Submission | Monthly: Program operators must submit monthly claims for meal reimbursement.
Must be submitted by the sixtieth day following the month claimed. |
Mandatory Completion | To be entitled to reimbursement, a claim preparer for each program operator must submit a monthly claim for reimbursement that provides data in sufficient detail to justify the reimbursement claimed. The data must include the number of free meals, reduced-price meals, and paid meals served; and an authorized agent or district official of the sponsor must certify and submit the claim in the CNIPS website. All original and upward adjusted claims resulting in a payment must be submitted by the sixtieth day following the month claimed to be considered for payment. |
California Governor’s State Budget Proposal Released | January: Budget Proposal Released. | Financial Timeframe | The State Constitution requires the Governor to submit a balanced budget proposal to the Legislature by January 10th of each year. The proposal details the state’s spending plan for the fiscal year beginning on July 1. Modifications to the Budget are released in May and the enacted Budget is signed by July 1. For more information, visit the California Budget website
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The Great Kindness Challenge Week | January: The 4th week of January each year. | Celebrations | The CDE, in partnership with the Great Kindness Challenge® (GKC), encourages all teachers, staff, students, and families of California schools to participate in the GKC week. The GKC initiative is a global campaign that promotes kindness in kindergarten through grade twelve schools. It is a positive, action-based bullying-prevention initiative that creates a school culture of kindness, compassion, unity, and respect. You can sign up on the GKC website
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Food Service Management Company Documents are Due | January | Mandatory Completion | Title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Section 210.19(a)(5) requires that the CDE review and approve all School Food Authority (SFA) Food Service Management Company (FSMC) documents prior to their execution. For timeline or questions regarding the FSMC process, review the CDE Procurement in School and Nutrition Programs web page. |
Verification Reporting | January 15 | Mandatory Completion | The verification report is an annual, mandatory process by which SNP program operators report the results of their eligibility verification process. All agencies that participate in the NSLP or SBP are required to complete the verification report in the CNIPS website. The report requires NSLP and SBP participating districts/agencies to report the verification results of their annual free and reduced-priced (F/RP) application process to the CDE.
Completing the verification report is required for all program operators, including those operating the Community Eligibility Provision or Provision 2 in a non-base year. |
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program | January–March: The Request for Applications (RFA) is released in January each year and applications are due in March. | Funding Opportunity | The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) is a reimbursement grant program that provides an additional free fresh fruit or vegetable snack to elementary students during the school day as a supplement to (and not part of) the SBP and the NSLP, and to teach students about good nutrition. For questions, visit the CDE California Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program web page. The RFA is announced each year on the CDE Nutrition What's New web page, under the Funding tab. |
School Breakfast Program and Summer Meal start-up and Expansion Grants | January–March: The RFA is released in January each year and applications are due in March. | Funding Opportunity | The School Breakfast Program (SBP) and Summer Meal Programs (SMP) Start-up and Expansion Grants provide schools with state funding to begin or expand their SBP and SMP. Public school districts, county offices of education, and directly funded charter schools can apply. For questions, visit the CDE School Breakfast and Summer Meal Grants web page. The RFA is announced each year on the Nutrition What's New web page, under the Funding tab. |
USDA Foods Ordering Survey |
February | Mandatory Completion | The FDP distributes USDA Foods ordering tools to all schools participating in the FDP and provides estimated entitlement for ordering purposes. |
National Nutrition Month | March: The entire month of March | Celebrations | March is National Nutrition Month® (NNM®). Celebrations such as these are an excellent way to recognize the role that food service and staff play in supporting student learning and to acknowledge the nutritional value and quality of school meals and snacks. For more ideas, visit the Action for Healthy Kids Celebrate NNM web page
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National School Breakfast Week | March: First full week of March | Celebrations | National School Breakfast Week (NSBW) is an excellent time to celebrate how your SBP supports student health, physical activity, and successful learning. For NSBW celebration ideas and resources, including the annual theme, visit School Nutrition Association National School Breakfast Week web page
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Summer Food Service Program Mandatory Training | March: Released on or around March 1 and must be completed prior to submitting the summer food service program application. | Mandatory Training | Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sponsors are required to designate a supervisory staff member or authorized representative responsible for the food service to complete the 11 individual online trainings. These trainings cover SFSP regulations, how to run a successful summer program, and best practices for operating meal sites. Completion of the online trainings are required before the summer application can be approved. Please note that the Administration Guide has not been updated to include current information on program thresholds and policy rescissions. To review current policy and regulations, please visit the CDE Summer Food Management Bulletin web page. |
Seamless Summer Option Application | March–May | Application Deadline | All program operators operating the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) must submit the SSO Site Application prior to the start of their summer meal operations. For more information regarding the site application, visit the CDE SSO web page and scroll to How to Apply. |
Summer Food Service Program Application Deadline | May or before: SFSP applications are due no later than 30 calendar days prior to the first SFSP meal service day, or May 15, whichever comes first. | Application deadline | All new SFSP applicants and returning sponsors are required to submit complete and correct SFSP application packets through the CNIPS website no later than 30 calendar days prior to the first SFSP meal service day, or May 15, whichever comes first. For more information regarding the SFSP application, visit the CDE Summer Food Service Program Information web page. |
School Lunch Hero Day | May: The beginning of May each year | Celebrations | School Lunch Hero Day is a day when schools and community members can show their appreciation for the important work that school nutrition professionals do each and every day to provide nutritious meals to California’s students. Additional information can be found at the School Nutrition Association School Lunch Hero Day web page
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Local Agency Procurement Review Initial Documents Request | May | Communication | SFAs will be notified by email in May if they are selected for a Local Agency Procurement Review (LAPR) in the following school year (e.g., May 2023 for LAPRs scheduled for School Year 2023–24). The correspondence will include instructions on how to access the SFA Procurement Table, a list of all prereview documents that the SFA must submit to the CDE, the due date, and a link to resources to assist the SFA with the review. For more information, review the CDE Steps in the Local Agency Procurement Process web page. |
California Governor’s State Budget Revision Released | May: Revised budget proposal released. | Financial Timeframe | This is commonly referred to as the “May Revise” and is when the Governor releases modification to the state budget first released in January. Budget must be signed by July 1. For more information, visit the California Budget website
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Farm to Summer Week Celebration Recognition Award | June: The third week in June each year. | Recognition | The Farm to Summer Celebration Week recognizes program operators of the Child Nutrition Programs (CNPs) in California that complete all three celebration elements: 1) Taste, 2) Teach and 3) Connect Summer Celebration Activities during the designated Farm to Summer Week. For more information, visit the CDE Farm to Summer Celebration Week web page. |
Community Eligibility Provision Applications Due | June: Program operators must elect Community Eligibility Provision by June 30th each year. | Application deadline | School Nutrition Program operators must elect to participate in Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) by June 30th each year and the application data used must be based on April 1 figures. For application steps, review the CDE Community Eligibility Provision Application Management Bulletin and scroll to Application Process. For more information regarding CEP, visit the CDE Community Eligibility Provision web page. |
Provision 2 | June: Program operators must elect Provision 2 by June 30th each year. | Application deadline | Program operators must elect to participate in Provision 2 (P2) by June 30th each year. To apply, program operators must download form SNP-13, which is located in the CNIPS website Download Forms section, and complete the steps listed at the top right corner of the form. For more information regarding P2, visit the CDE Provision: Claiming Alternative web page and click on the P2 tab. |
Local School Wellness Policy | If applicable, complete Local School Wellness Policy (LSWP) Triennial Assessment by June 30th each year. | Deadline | NSLP and SBP operators must complete the LSWP Triennial Assessment and report the results to the public every three years. For more information and resources visit the CDE Local School Wellness Policy web page. |
School Nutrition Program Annual Updates | July: SNP program operators can begin completing and submitting annual updates. | Mandatory Completion | SNP operators must complete the annual updates to their CNIPS application packets. The new school year will be available in CNIPS website in July each year, and the NSD must approve your CNIPS application packet before you are able to submit reimbursement claims. |
School Nutrition Program Eligibility Determinations: Meal Applications | July: July 1 annually, SNP program operators must begin sending meal applications out and making eligibility determinations for free and reduced-price meals. | Mandatory Completion | SNP operators conducting standard counting and claiming at school sites must begin making eligibility determinations for free and reduced-price meals in July for the upcoming school year. SNP operators must complete this through the collection of meal applications and direct certification efforts. |
School Nutrition Program Eligibility Determinations: Direct Certification | July: SNP program operators must begin directly certifying children at or around the beginning of the school year. Direct certification must be completed 3 times annually, but it is recommended to complete monthly. |
Mandatory Completion | Direct certification is the federally mandated process that SNP operators must use to certify children who are eligible for free meals or milk without completing an application. Charter schools, public school districts, and county offices of education may implement direct certification by using a local data match through their county’s department of social or welfare services, and by using the CDE’s California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System. Private schools, residential child care institutions, and nonpublic schools with day students may implement direct certification by using a local data match with their county’s department of social or welfare services. SNP operators conducting standard meal counting and claiming must conduct direct certification at least three times during the school year:
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State Budget Signed | July: The state budget must be signed and released by July 1 of each year. | Financial Timeframe | The state budget allocates funding for the CNPs and supporting programs. The budget proposal by the Governor is released January, modifications to the budget are released in May and the enacted budget is signed by July 1. For more information, visit the California Budget website
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New State Fiscal Year | July: July 1 of each year marks the new state fiscal year | Financial Timeframe | A fiscal year is an annual financial data reporting timeframe. The state operates on a fiscal year of July 1st through June 30th. |
Local School Wellness Policy | July: Review LSWP and complete annual updates; post for the public. | Mandatory Completion | NSLP and SBP operators must review and update their LSWPs annually and notify the public about the content and implementation of the LSWP. For more information and resources visit the CDE Local School Wellness Policy web page. |
Food Distribution Program Contract Packet due | July 31: each year | Mandatory Completion | Food Distribution Programs (FDP) must certify their compliance with these regulations by updating their FDP Contract Packet on the CNIPS website annually by July 31. For mandatory completion steps, review the CDE Annual Update of the FDP Contract in the CNIPS Management Bulletin. For more information regarding FDP, visit the CDE Food Distribution Program web page. |
Turnip the Beet Recognition Award | Late Summer: Nomination forms for Turnip the Beet are released late summer each year. The specific timeframes will be released in a listserv. | Recognition | The Turnip the Beet (TUB) Awards recognize excellent summer meal program sponsors across the nation who work hard to offer high quality meals to children that are appetizing, appealing, and nutritious. For more information, visit the USDA TUB web page
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Mandatory Food Safety Inspection Reports and Survey | August–October | Mandatory Completion | All sponsors participating in the NSLP and SBP must obtain two food safety inspections from their state or local environmental health department (LEHD) annually. SFAs must then submit an annual mandatory food safety inspection survey in the CNIPS website; reporting the food safety inspection data from the previous school year. CNIPS surveys must be completed by October 30th annually. |
California Food Literacy Month | September: The entire month of September | Celebrations | Food literacy, by definition, is the understanding of the effect of our food choices on our health, environment, and economy. For more information, visit the Food Literacy Center's Food Literacy Month web page
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National Farm to School Month | October: The entire month of October | Celebrations | National Farm to School (F2S) Month is an excellent opportunity to showcase your F2S accomplishments, celebrate your connections with local farmers, and, if the time is right, to start expanding on your F2S program! For more about National F2S Month, visit the National F2S Network F2S web page
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National School Lunch Week | October: The second full week in October | Celebrations | National School Lunch Week (NSLW) was established to support children’s educational journeys with healthy school lunches and to celebrate the NSLP. For more information about NSLW, visit the School Nutrition Association National School Lunch Week web page
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Crunch It, Munch It Week | October: The last week of October. | Celebrations | Schools, hospitals, and businesses across the state take a bite out of locally grown fruits and vegetables to celebrate local farmers and healthy eating each day the last week of October every year. For more information, resources and educational videos, visit the Community Alliance with Family Farmers web page
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Verification | October–November 15 | Mandatory Completion | Verification is the annual, mandatory process that confirms the eligibility of a sample of approved household meal eligibility applications in the NSLP and SBP. Each year, SNP program operators must select and verify a sample of applications approved for free and reduced-price meal benefits. The required sample size of applications that must be verified is based on the number of approved applications the program operator has on file as of October 1. If October 1 falls on a weekend, program operators will use the next operating day to establish the sample pool. Each program operator must complete the verification process of the required sample size of meal applications by November 15. Verification is required for program operators conducting standard counting and claiming at any approved site, including in a Provision 2 base year. Program operators operating the CEP or Provision 2 in a non-base year are not required to complete verification. |
Changing Participation Avenue for the Receipt of USDA Foods | October–November 15 | Opportunity | The USDA Foods Cycle begins in October when SNP operators participating in the FDP have the opportunity to change their participation avenue for the upcoming school year (SY). The three choices agencies can choose from are as an Allocation/Advance Order agency, a State Co-op member, or Private Co-op member. The deadline to make a change is December 15. The NSD has a guide titled FDP Avenues for Receiving USDA Foods, which compares services among the CDE state distribution centers, state co-ops, and private co-ops. This guide is included in Management Bulletin NSD-FDP-02-2013 on the CDE FDP Changing Receipt of USDA Foods web page. Additionally, the NSD has posted a recorded training titled CDE FDP: Avenues of Participation, located in the FDP tab of the CDE Child Nutrition Programs Course Catalog web page. This training video provides an overview of the three different avenues for receiving USDA Foods in California. |
Equipment Assistance Grant | October–December The Request for Applications (RFA) is released in October each year and applications are due in December. | Funding Opportunity | The federal grant funding is designed to help schools serve healthier meals, improve food safety, ease challenges related to supply chain disruptions, expand meal service to students enrolled at eligible sites, and to help support the establishment, maintenance, and implementation of Universal Meals as well as the expansion of the SBP. The grant is announced each year on the CDE Nutrition What's New web page under the Funding tab. |
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foods Preference Survey |
November–January | Mandatory Completion | The FDP sends a preference survey for brown box USDA Foods to Allocation and State Cooperative (Co-op) Agencies to determine the most desired USDA Foods and quantities needed for our California schools. These items are included on the USDA Foods Ordering Survey. |
Education and Nutrition Policy Unit | 800-952-5609
Town Hall Team | NSDTownHalls@cde.ca.gov