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CANS
What is the purpose of sending notices prior to the reimbursement checks?
DOE
has received questions about why a notice is mailed to a school district
before the check for the school food reimbursement arrives. Some have
indicated that the notices are unnecessary, since the business office already
knows how much the reimbursement will be.
Here
is the explanation: first, the notices give details of what comprises the
reimbursement. If there is a difference between what is expected vs. what is
stated in the notice, a review can determine exactly where the differences are
without having to call the CANS office. This saves office staff time by
avoiding calls inquiring about reimbursement amounts.
Some
agencies, including schools, have several nutrition programs that need to be
accounted for separately from the School Lunch Program, such as Severe Need
Breakfast, Summer Food Services and Child and Adult Food Program. The notices
that are sent out give a breakdown by program so the agencies can account for
the revenues appropriately.
Reimbursement checks are mailed to agencies directly from the state auditor’s
office. These checks may include reimbursements from other offices in the
Department of Education and, in fact, from other state agencies. The notices
sent out by CANS identify what portion is from the food nutrition programs.
Some
agencies have personnel other that the business office submit their nutrition
reimbursement claim forms. The notices aid business managers in determining
what is reimbursed and how to code the reimbursement.
The
notices can also aid auditors as a source of outside verification for
revenues.
CANS
does have plans to process claim forms and reimbursement notification online,
eliminating the need for mailing separate notices. At present, the system
that is used does not allow this; it is expected that the online conversion
will occur in the next two years.
Annual training for USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) set for
May
The
annual CACFP/SFSP operational workshops will be held during May at the
following locations:
May 12 –
Rapid City
– Youth & Family Services – 120 E. Adams
May 20 – Pierre – Home Federal Savings Bank – 322 S. Coteau
May 27 –
Sioux Falls
– Department of Transportation – 5316 W. 60th St. N. (Hwy 83)
Plan
now to attend the annual CACFP training workshop in May. While the workshop
is not currently mandatory, it is likely that annual attendance at training
will be mandatory in the future. This is an excellent opportunity to get
started with the training this year. For more information, contact Melissa
Halling, (605) 773-3566, email
melissa.halling@state.sd.us .
EARLY
BIRD registration due APRIL 30 for 04 Child Nutrition Program Certification
Institute
Early
bird registration for the upcoming certification institute is due April 30.
All tracks have a size limit and will be filled on a first come, first served
basis. Final registration deadline is Friday, May 14. In order to guarantee
your enrollment, send in your registration form and payment as soon as
possible!
The 40th
annual South Dakota Child Nutrition Program Certification Institute will be
held June 20-25 in
Sioux Falls
on the Augustana College campus. All tracks are 5-day courses and qualify for
30 continuing education credits from the American School Food Service
Association (ASFSA).
Registration Information was mailed out the last week of February to food
service directors and authorized representatives. You can also print the
information and registration form from the “Certification Institute” link on
the CANS website.
Don’t
forget to turn in the Certification Institute scholarship application if you
are eligible.
Continue
to watch the monthly Nutrition Bulletin and CANS website for Certification
Institute updates!
Professional Development Opportunities
►National Food Service
Management Institute
Satellite Seminar: Coaching Employees: Will you make a difference?
April 28, 2004
2:00pm-3:00pm
Viewers will be able to identify the coaching relationship as
a partnership or joint venture. Ultimately the following objectives will be
realized:
-
Strengthening employee skills;
-
Increasing productivity of the employee, the tram, and the Child Nutrition
Program;
-
Enabling employees to excel and achieve success
For additional information go to the National Food Service
Management website, www.nfsmi.org, and click on Educational Opportunities.
►Satellite Videoconference: Metabolic Syndrome: Prevention &
Treatment Challenges
April 29, 2004
10:00 am – 4:00 pm CT
Sponsored by Iowa
State
University
downlinked at six South Dakota
sites by the Department of Health
-
Provides critical review of research efforts to define, diagnose, and
characterize the primary contributors to the Metabolic Syndrome
-
Outline prevention and therapeutic strategies to alleviate the physiological
consequences of the Metabolic Syndrome by integrating physical activity,
nutritional, pharmacological, and psychological approaches
-
Identify future directions for prevention and treatment of the Metabolic
syndrome
For more detailed information and to register online go to
www.state.sd.us/doh, click on site index and then calendar of events.
►Food Allergies in Children:
Prevention and Intervention
June 2, 2004
12:00 pm-4:00 pm CT
Conference will address diagnosis and treatment of food
allergies in children. There will also be a discussion of food allergies and
school policies. More information will be posted on the DOH website as it
becomes available.
Appreciation
Certificates
Schools, child care
centers, and other local agencies can honor long-time employees or retiring
employees with an appreciation certificate. To order a certificate, contact
Linda Jarvis at 773-3413 or by e-mail to
linda.jarvis@state.sd.us. We need to know correct spelling of the
person’s name, number of years in food service (specify if at different
districts/agencies), and what school/agency employed at currently. Also
advise if we are to send the certificate to the employee or if it should be
mailed to someone else. Please plan for a couple weeks for processing and
delivery.
Legislation Update
Child Nutrition Reauthorization Legislation is making its way
through US Congress. The US House of Representatives on March 24 passed H.R.
3873, the "Child Nutrition Improvement and Integrity Act" by a vote of 419 to
5. A summary of the Child Nutrition Improvement &
Integrity Act can be viewed at
http://edworkforce.house.gov/issues/108th/education/
childnutrition/billsummary.htm.
Included in the bill is a provision originally
proposed by Rep. Ric Keller (R-FL) to reduce the stigma among children
receiving free and reduced-price lunches by helping schools make technological
improvements - such as automated "meal card" systems that keep students'
financial status confidential - to increase the efficiency of program
operations.
The bill also includes an initiative proposed by Reps. Fred
Upton (R-MI) and Ron Kind (D-WI) to strengthen partnerships between local
agriculture and schools to ensure fresh, local produce can go from farms to
schools. In addition, the Child Nutrition Improvement & Integrity Act extends
and allows for the expansion of the popular Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Program
through the discretionary appropriations process. The Fruit and Vegetable
Pilot Program currently provides free fresh and dried fruits and fresh
vegetables to children in 25 schools in each of four states and one Indian
Reservation. The Child Nutrition Improvement & Integrity Act also reauthorizes
the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children
(WIC).
On Friday, March 26, the
Senate, by unanimous consent, passed S. 2241, a bill, "To reauthorize certain
school lunch and child nutrition programs through June 30, 2004." This bill
extends authorization for several programs: 1) privatized military housing, 2)
for-profit child care centers participating in CACFP if at least 25% of the
enrolled children meet the income eligibility criteria, 3) continues authority
for schools and community organizations to operate the SFSP, 4) continues the
operation of special pilot programs in 14 States that reduce paperwork
requirements and increase the number of low-income children who receive free
meals and snacks during the summer months, 5) allows the Secretary to purchase
commodities above the original allocation, if needed, to ensure that
sufficient levels of commodities are available for CN programs, and 6) the
bill also extends the provision which allows the Secretary to use section 32
funds to reimburse States for removal of commodities if the Secretary
determines that donated commodities pose health or safety risks. All of these
provisions expire on March 31, 2004. |
