Food Service Staff Education and Training

Food Service Staff Web Guide

The purpose of this web guide is to help acquaint newly hired food service directors and staff operating the SNPs with the content on this web page and to act as a gateway to other important NSD web pages.

Overview of School Nutrition Programs

Below is an overview of the School Nutrition Programs (SNPs), administered by the USDA and overseen by the CDE NSD. For more information, visit the CDE’s SNP web page.

• Child Nutrition Programs (CNP) – This broad term encompasses all of the federal meal programs that provide healthy, nutritious meals and snacks to the children. Through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP), children have access to healthy meals and snacks during the school day. Through the Special Milk Program (SMP), school children who do not have access to other meal programs can supplement their day with a serving of milk. Through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), children are provided healthy meals during those times when school is closed for the summer or extended breaks. Another option for summer meal service is the Seamless Summer option (SSO), a federal program that encourages schools participating in NSLP and SBP to provide meals in low-income areas during the summer. Through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), children in childcare settings have access to healthy meals and snacks. Day care centers and home day care providers can participate in the CACFP programs. Please note: As of July 1, 2021, the administration of the CACFP in California has moved to and is now administered by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS). Visit the CDSS CACFP web page for information on the CACFP.

• School Nutrition Programs – The term SNP is used to refer to the federally funded meal programs operating in public and nonprofit private schools, charter schools, and residential child care institutions throughout the United States. The term includes the NSLP, NSLP Afterschool Snack Program (ASP), SSO, SBP, SMP, and Food Distribution Program (FDP). Each of these programs plays a role in supporting and providing nutritious and culturally relevant meals to students during the school day. The USDA administers the SNPs nationally and in California, these programs are overseen by the CDE NSD.

• Universal Meals Program – Starting in School Year (SY) 2022–23, the California state meal mandate expanded, and the set of requirements are often collectively referred to as the Universal Meals Program. California’s state meal mandate requires public school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to make available a nutritiously adequate breakfast and lunch for all pupils each school day at no cost to the student, regardless of their meal program eligibility. The state meal mandate also requires all public school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools with high poverty schools to adopt a federal provision, such as the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) or Provision 2. Ultimately, Universal Meals builds on the foundations of the federal NSLP and SBP, maximizing federal reimbursement through these programs and providing additional state funds so that all meals served are reimbursed at the federal ‘free’ rate.

• National School Lunch Program – The NSLP is a federal meal program operated in public and nonprofit private schools, charter schools, and residential child care institutions and is designed to provide culturally relevant, nutritious lunches to children each school day. Meals include whole grains, fruits and vegetables, low-fat milk, and meat/meat alternate options, and must meet specific nutritional standards. Schools participating in the NSLP receive federal meal reimbursement for meals served. Federal meal rates are established at the paid, reduced-price, and free levels. Schools participating in the NSLP and SBP can also receive additional state reimbursement through the Universal Meal Program, so that all meals served under the NSLP are served at no cost to the students.

• Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) – The FFVP is a federal grant program that provides an additional free fresh fruit or vegetable snack to students during the school day as a supplement to (and not part of) the School Breakfast Program (SBP) and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), and teaches students about good nutrition. The FFVP also encourages grantees to develop partnerships at the state and local level for support in implementing and operating the program.

• School Breakfast Program – The SBP is a federal meal program operated in public and nonprofit private schools, charter schools, and residential child care institutions and is designed to provide culturally relevant, nutritious breakfast to children each school day. Meals must meet specific nutritional standards. Schools participating in the SBP receive federal meal reimbursement for meals served. Federal meal rates are established at the paid, reduced-price and free levels. Schools participating in the NSLP and SBP can also receive additional state reimbursement through the Universal Meal Program, so that all meals served under the SBP are served at no cost to the students.

• Seamless Summer Option – The SSO is a federal option for NSLP and SBP Operators to provide summer meals for children in areas with low-incomes. The SSO combines features of the NSLP, SBP, and SFSP. Program Operators of the SSO may operate at community or recreational centers, libraries, camps, schools, and other eligible summer meal sites. Participating in the SSO reduces paperwork and administrative burdens, and makes it easier for SFAs to feed children during traditional summer vacation periods in neighborhoods experiencing low incomes and, for year-round schools, during school vacation periods of more than ten days.

• Summer Food Service Programs – The SFSP is a federally funded program that reimburses operators for administrative and operational costs to provide meals for children 18 years of age and younger during periods when they are out of school for fifteen (15) or more consecutive school days. The SFSP provides an opportunity to continue a child's physical and social development while providing nutritious meals during vacation periods from school. Participation in the SFSP is open to both school and community operators.

• NSLP Afterschool Snack Program (ASP) – The NSLP ASP is a federal SNP that provides students in afterschool programs a nutritious snack and education activities. The NSLP ASP must follow the NSLP ASP federal meal pattern and provide organized, regularly scheduled activities in a structured and supervised environment. Afterschool programs may also choose to participate in the SFSP to provide a meal to students in their programs, in addition to the NSLP ASP.

• Special Milk Program – The SMP is a federal program that assists schools and other agencies to provide milk to children at reasonable prices. This program, with one exception, is available to local educational agencies (LEA) that do not participate in NSLP, SBP, CACFP, or SFSP. Participating schools and institutions receive reimbursement from the USDA for each half-pint of milk served. The program must be open to all enrolled students and must operate on a non-profit basis.

• Food Distribution Program – The Food Distribution Program is a federal Child Nutrition Program that is available to NSLP and SFSP sponsors. The USDA purchases 100 percent domestically-grown foods to support the American agricultural market. These USDA Foods help schools create appealing, nutritious, cost-effective menu options and help schools comply with USDA meal pattern requirements. In addition to USDA Foods, the USDA contracts with the Department of Defense (DoD), Defense Supply Office to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to participants under the DoD Fresh program. The value of USDA Foods and DoD Fresh produce agencies receive is based on a formula that multiplies the number of lunches claimed during the previous year by a per meal rate, which is adjusted annually. This is referred to as entitlement. USDA Foods and DoD Fresh produce may be used in all school meals served to children, including school snack programs and supper.

School Nutrition Program Policy

The School Nutrition Programs are guided by federal and state law, regulations, policy, and guidance. The CDE relays these state and federal requirements to SNP Program Operators through email communications, web pages, webinars, trainings, and management bulletins.

To become an SNP Program Operator, the agency must enter into an official, binding agreement, called the Permanent Single Agreement (PSA), with the CDE. The PSA provides an overview and citations for many of the key state and federal requirements governing the SNPs. The PSA is an excellent reference to help connect operational guidance with the state and federal requirements that shape them. To review your agency’s PSA, visit the Program Operator’s Child Nutrition Information Payment System (CNIPS) account, select Download Forms Section, the PSA is form SNP- NSLP-01, and A-E are associated addendums and attachments.

Below is a listing of the various state and federal sources where SNP rules and requirements can be found.

Federal Policy

• Code of Federal Regulations – The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is an arrangement of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government. The purpose of the CFR is to present the official and complete text of agency regulations in one organized publication and to provide a comprehensive and convenient reference. Specifically, Title 7 of the CFR (7 CFR) contains all of the regulations under the USDA, including the large majority of the SNP rules.
  
  
  • National School Lunch Program (NSLP) 7 CFR Part 210
    
    
  • National School Breakfast Program (SBP) 7 CFR Part 220
    
    
  • Special Milk Program (SMP) 7 CFR Part 215
    
    
  • Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) 7 CFR Part 225

Note that the NSLP SSO does not have a separate Part in the CFR, rather it uses a combination of the NSLP and SFSP regulations.

• USDA Policy and Question and Answer (Q&A) documents: The USDA routinely releases policy memorandums to states to inform and guide the administration of the SNPs. To help illustrate the application of policy guidance issued, the USDA will frequently release accompanying Q&A documents. These documents anticipate likely questions or scenarios where the policy will be applied and attempt to provide more specific, situational guidance. As the state administrative agency, the CDE then shares the guidance with Program Operators within the context of state law and policy.

State Policy

• California Education Code –The California Education Code (EC) is a collection of all of the state laws directly related to California’s kindergarten through grade 12 (K–12) public schools. EC sections are created or changed by the state Governor and Legislature when laws are passed. Chapter 9 of the EC contains many of the state laws related to the implementation of the SNPs in California, specifically articles 8–12.
  
  
• The California Code of Regulations – The California Code of Regulations (CCR) is a collection of all of the state regulations created by the executive departments and agencies of the state of California. Title 5, CCR (5 CCR), Division I, Chapter 15 contains requirements of the Child Nutrition Programs set forth by the CDE.
  
  
• California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Food and Drug Branch – The CDPH Food and Drug Branch provides information on food safety regulations and best practices. It also houses the California Retail Food Code (CalCode), a section of the California Health and Safety Code that contains the health and sanitation standards for retail food facilities, including schools.
  
  
• California Contract Law – California Contract Law is an umbrella term for a group of statutory laws, including Common Law, Division 3 of the California Civil Code and Uniform Commercial Code , California Public Contracts Code Sections 20110 through 20118.4 , and case law. Combined, these define a contract and how a contract can be procured and enforced. These laws also define competitive bidding requirements in order to ensure proper use of public funds, to stimulate competition, and to ensure all qualified bidders have a fair opportunity without concern for favoritism, fraud, and corruption. Specifically, California Public Contract Code Sections 20110-20118, as explained in CDE’s Management Bulletin CNP-12-2018 permit public school districts operating Child Nutrition Programs (CNPs) to follow the federal procurement standards in Title 2, Code of Federal Regulations (2 CFR), sections 200.31-326, which addresses requirements for advertising, contract award, small purchase thresholds, and purchasing through cooperative agreements, agents and third-party services. In summary, when implementing CNPs, California Contract Law, as well as federal contract requirements, will impact how goods and services are procured.

Policy Guidance

• School Nutrition Programs (SNP) Management Bulletins (MB) web page – The SNP MBs are released by the CDE NSD to communicate federal and state policy information related to assist Program Operators with the SNPs.
  
  
• Summer Food Management Bulletins web page – The Summer Food MBs are released by the CDE NSD to communicate federal and state policy information related to assist Program Operators with the Summer Food Programs.
  
  
• Food Distribution Program (FDP) Management Bulletin web page – The FDP MBs are released by the CDE NSD to communicate federal and state regulation and policy information to assist Program Operators with the FDPs.

For more resources and information visit the CDE’s Legislation, Regulations, & Policies web page.

Trainings and Education

A strong training and education plan is essential for new food service directors and staff for successful operations of the SNPs and to meet the Professional Standards requirements. Additionally, all staff involved with SNP operations must complete annual training. For details on annual training requirements, refer to the CDE Professional Standards Requirements web page.

In-Person Trainings

Information on in-person or one-time online trainings is announced on the Nutrition What's New web page and shared through listserv communications.

Online Trainings

The list that follows is a menu of foundational trainings for new food service directors and staff. While the course catalog has a more extensive inventory of trainings, this listing is meant to support new staff in developing a training plan starting first with the most critical items, which have been listed with tips below. Use this list as a starting point and then move to the course catalog once this content has been mastered.

Nutrition
Administration
Operations

Nutrition

Administration

Operation

Town Halls

The Tuesday @ 2 School Nutrition Town Halls provide an opportunity for program operators to learn about policy guidance, program requirements, best practices, new resources, and training opportunities for operating the school nutrition programs. Typically, Town Halls occur each month on the fourth Tuesday, unless otherwise noted.

The primary target audience is SNP Operators and Food Service Directors (FSD).

The day of the Town Hall, the CDE posts “Draft” webinar slides in the Download Forms section in the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS) website. The slides are subject to change. Use the following steps to access slides in CNIPS:

• For School Food Authorities: Select Applications and Download Forms
  
  
• For SFSP operators: Go to the SFSP Module select Applications and Download Forms

Below are the available final Tuesday @ 2 School Nutrition Town Hall slides and resources for the past 12 months. Information on participating in the live Town Hall meetings is posted on the CDE Nutrition What’s New web page under the Training tab.

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
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 .
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 to receive information and resources.
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 .
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 . For more information about the SBP, visit the CDE School Breakfast Program web page.
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 .
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 .
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: At or around the beginning of the school year, Three months after the beginning of the school year, and Six months after the beginning of the school year.
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 .
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 . The TUB is announced each year on the CDE Nutrition What's New web page under the Recognition tab.
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 .
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 . For information about F2S programs in schools, visit the CDE Farm to School web page.
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 . For more information, about the NSLP visit the CDE National School Lunch Program web page.
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 .
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.

Resources

Key resources. Curated list of resources to support priority activities.

General
Nutrition
Policy

General

Nutrition

Resource	Description
NSLP and SBP Meal Patterns	Includes meal pattern requirements, online trainings, resources, compliance, policy guidance, and questions and answers for sponsors participating in the NSLP and SBP.
Nutrient Analysis Protocols: How to Analyze Menus for USDA’s School Meals Programs	The USDA Nutrient Analysis Protocols (NAP) Manual provides guidance for the calculation of nutrient analyses of school menus, which allow the school and state agency to provide documentation that the school is meeting the dietary specifications for NSLP and SBP.
Energize Your Day with School Breakfast	Energize Your Day with School Breakfast is a collection of digital resources available on the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) website. The collection can be used by program operators and other stakeholders to establish or expand the breakfast service within their school. The three modules on the website are: “Getting Started with School Breakfast ,” “Implementing Your Program ,” and “Marketing Your Program .”
School Breakfast Materials	The USDA Team Nutrition School Breakfast Materials web page also includes a training guide on Reducing Added Sugars at School Breakfast .
Food Buying Guide for CNPs	The USDA Food Buying Guide (FBG) is the essential resource for food yield information for all child nutrition programs (CNP). The FBG assists CNP operators, food manufacturers, and other stakeholders with purchasing the correct amounts of foods for child nutrition meal programs and determining the contribution that each food makes toward meal pattern requirements. The FBG is available as an Interactive Web-based Tool, Mobile App, and downloadable PDF.

Policy

Resource	Description
School Nutrition Programs Management Bulletins web page	Federal and state policy information on the School Nutrition Programs Management Bulletins web page by topic.
Summer Food Management Bulletins web page	Federal and state policy information on the Summer Food Management Bulletins web page by topic.
Code of Federal Regulations	The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is an arrangement of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government. The purpose of the CFR is to present the official and complete text of agency regulations in one organized publication and to provide a comprehensive and convenient reference. Specifically, Title 7 of the CFR (7 CFR) contains all of the regulations under the USDA, including all of the SNP rules. In addition, Title 2 CFR includes the grants and agreements rules.
California Education Code	California Education Code (EC) is a collection of all of the state laws directly related to California’s kindergarten through grade 12 (K–12) public schools. EC sections are created or changed by the state Governor and Legislature when laws are passed. Chapter 9 of the EC contains many of the state laws related to the implementation of the SNPs in California, specifically articles 8–12.
California Code of Regulations	California Code of Regulations (CCR) is a collection of the general and permanent rules enacted by the executive departments and agencies of the State Government. The purpose of the CCR is to present the official and complete text of agency regulations in one organized publication and to provide a comprehensive and convenient reference. Specifically, the California Department of Education’s regulations are found under CCR, Title 5, Division 1, Chapter 15, Subchapter 1, Articles 1–6.
California Contract Law	California Contract Law – California Contract Law is an umbrella term for a group of statutory laws, including Common Law, Division 3 of the California Civil Code and Uniform Commercial Code , California Public Contracts Code Sections 20110 through 20118.4 , and case law. Combined, these define a contract and how a contract can be procured and enforced. These laws also define competitive bidding requirements in order to ensure proper use of public funds, to stimulate competition, and to ensure all qualified bidders have a fair opportunity without concern for favoritism, fraud and corruption. Specifically, California Public Contract Code Sections 20110-20118, as explained in CDE’s Management Bulletin CNP-12-2018 permit public school districts operating Child Nutrition Programs (CNPs) to follow the federal procurement standards in Title 2, Code of Federal Regulations (2 CFR), sections 200.31-326, which addresses requirements for advertising, contract award, small purchase thresholds and purchasing through cooperative agreements, agents and third-party services. In summary, when implementing Child Nutrition Programs, California Contract Law, as well as federal contract requirements, will impact how you procure goods and services.
California Department of Public Health Food and Drug Branch	The California Department of Public Health Food and Drug Branch provides information on food safety regulations and best practices. It also houses the California Retail Food Code (CalCode), a section of the California Health and Safety Code that contains the health and sanitation standards for retail food facilities, including schools.

Definitions

Definitions and Acronyms

• After School Programs
• Child Nutrition Programs
• Food Distribution Program
• Local Educational Agency
• National School Lunch Program
• Professional Standards
• Program Operator
• School Breakfast Program
• School Food Authority
• School Nutrition Programs
• Summer Food Service Program
• Seamless Summer Option

After School Programs: The programs that give children and teenagers the nutrition they need, and draw them into constructive activities that are safe, fun, and filled with opportunities for learning after the school day. The federally reimbursable after school programs are under the NSLP and the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) .

Child Nutrition Programs: The global terminology used to represent the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), NSLP Afterschool Snack Program (NSLP ASP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Special Milk Program (SMP), Food Distribution Program (FDP), NSLP Seamless Summer Option (SSO), Summer Food Service Programs (SFSP) and the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) .  In California, the CACFP is administered by the California Department of Social Services.

Food Distribution Program (FDP): The Food Distribution Program assists agencies by making U.S. Department of Agriculture Foods available to enhance the feeding programs of participants of the Child Nutrition Programs.

Local Educational Agency (LEA): A public board of education or other public authority legally constituted within a state for either administrative control or direction of, or to perform a service function for, public elementary schools or secondary schools in a city, county, township, school district, or other political subdivision of a state, or for a combination of school districts or counties as are recognized in a state as an administrative agency for its public elementary schools or secondary schools.

National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The NSLP assists schools and other agencies to provide nutritious lunches to children at reasonable prices.

Professional Standards: The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA) requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture to create professional standards for state and local SNP personnel. Professional standards for school nutrition professionals establish hiring requirements for certain food service positions and require a minimum amount of annual training hours for all state directors of SNPs, state director of distributing agencies, SNP directors, managers, and staff. Helpful information can be found on the USDA's Professional Standards web page

Program Operator: the organization approved by the state administrative agency to operate any one of the federal child nutrition programs.

School Breakfast Program (SBP): The SBP assists schools and other agencies in providing nutritious breakfasts to children at reasonable prices.

School Food Authority (SFA): An administering entity for the operation of a school feeding program. It can receive federal meal reimbursements for administering the meal programs. An SFA may be a school district, several school districts, or individual schools.

School Nutrition Programs (SNP): Within California, any of the following programs: the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), NSLP Afterschool Snack Program (NSLP ASP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Special Milk Program (SMP), Food Distribution Program (FDP), and NSLP Seamless Summer Option (SSO).

Summer Food Service Program (SFSP): A program that reimburses sponsors for administrative and operational costs to provide meals for children 18 years of age and younger during periods when they are out of school for 15 or more consecutive school days.

Seamless Summer Option (SSO): A program that encourages more public-school districts and county offices of education to provide meals in low income areas during summer and certain other school vacation periods. The SSO combines features of the NSLP, SBP, and SFSP. The SSO reduces paperwork and administrative burdens and makes it easier for sponsors to feed children in low income areas during traditional summer vacation periods and during school vacation periods of longer than 10 days for year-round schools.

Contacts

There are a number of specialized resources to assist you with your questions. Your assigned SNP Analyst is often the place to start. These additional resources may also be helpful.

And Justice for All Posters

You can request And Justice For All posters by emailing AJFAPosters@cde.ca.gov.

Breakfast and Summer Meal Grants

For questions regarding School Breakfast and Summer Meal Grants, contact the Breakfast Grant team by phone at 800-952-5609 or by email at breakfastgrant@cde.ca.gov.

Child Nutrition and Information Payment System (CNIPS)

If you have any questions regarding the CNIPS, email CNIPS@cde.ca.gov. For concerns and complaints regarding CNIPS, contact CNPComplaints@cde.ca.gov.

Claims and Reimbursement Analysts

If you need assistance with claims and reimbursement, contact your assigned fiscal analyst which you can find on the CDE Nutrition Services web page, under the Analyst Directory Tab. To submit a corrective action plan related to late claim requests, please email OTORequest@cde.ca.gov.

Civil Rights

Complaints may be submitted to the NSD by contacting the Civil Rights and Complaints Coordinator by phone at 800-952-5609 or by email at CNPComplaints@cde.ca.gov.

Competitive Foods

For questions related to the California competitive food and beverage requirements, contact the Competitive Foods and Beverages Team by email at CompetitiveFoods@cde.ca.gov.

Customer Service

We encourage you to share your experience with us or tell us more ways we can help by taking a few minutes to complete the NSD Customer Service Survey.

Disaster Reimbursement Claims

If you have any questions regarding the disaster reimbursement claims, contact the NSD at NSDDisasterClaims@cde.ca.gov.

Food Distribution Program

If you have any questions regarding the Food Distribution Program by email at FoodDistribution@cde.ca.gov.

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) Team

If you have any general questions regarding the FFVP, contact the FFVP Team at FFVP@cde.ca.gov.

Local School Wellness Policy

If you have any general questions regarding the Local School Wellness Policy (LSWP), contact the LSWP team at LSWP@cde.ca.gov.

Nutrition Education

For nutrition education resource questions and inquiries, contact NutritionEducation@cde.ca.gov.

Nutrition Education Expenditure

For questions related to assessing allowability of costs associated with nutrition education activities, submit your questions by email to NutrExpenditure@cde.ca.gov.

Professional Standards

For questions related to the education requirements for CNP personnel, submit your questions by email at ProfessionalStandards@cde.ca.gov.

Procurement Resources

For questions related to procurement and procurement resources, email NSDProcurementReview@cde.ca.gov. For questions related to Food Service Management Contract reviews, email SFSContracts@cde.ca.gov.

School Nutrition Program (SNP)

For questions regarding the SNP, contact your SNP Analyst on the CDE SNP Specialist Directory web page.

SNP Cafeteria Fund Guidance

For questions about SNP cafeteria funds, contact the SNP Cafeteria Fund Team by email at SNPCafeFundQuestions@cde.ca.gov.

Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Team

For questions regarding the SFSP, contact the SFSP team by email at SFSP@cde.ca.gov.

School Food Service

For questions regarding Food Service Management Contracts (FSMC) email SFSContracts@cde.ca.gov.

SNP

For general SNP related questions, email the SNP Team at SNPINFO@cde.ca.gov.

Town Halls

If you have any questions regarding the monthly Town Hall webinars, email NSDTownHalls@cde.ca.gov.

Universal Meals Program

For questions related to the UMP, email the UMP team at UniversalMealsSY22@cde.ca.gov.

USDA Foods Team