Food for Thought Summer 2023

QUARTERLY UPDATES

Other Program Requirements • At the beginning of the school year, and multiple times throughout the year, sponsors are required to notify households of their breakfast program (if participating in the School Breakfast Program). Sponsors must remind households of the location, time, and cost of breakfast at each school. This can be achieved by sending households a letter or flyer, posting information on the website, including a blurb about the breakfast program in the school newsletter, adding an outgoing message about breakfast through an automated calling system, or sending out notification via email. Please make sure to keep this outreach documentation on file for any future Administrative Reviews. • Schools that implement Offer vs. Serve must notify households. Notifying households ensures that they understand the many ways a student can create a reimbursable meal. English and Spanish template letters are available on IDOE’s Offer vs. Serve webpage . • All schools are required to obtain two food safety inspections during the school year. The inspection requirement applies to all food preparation-service sites and service-only sites. Make sure to send a letter to your local health department notifying them of the USDA requirement for the inspections to ensure your school’s compliance. Template letters can be found on IDOE’s Food Safety webpage . • Make sure to review what foods and beverages are being sold to students across the school campus, including in school stores, vending machines, through fundraisers, etc. Any food or beverages sold to students during the school day (which USDA defines as from midnight the night before until 30 minutes after school is over), must meet general ingredient and specific nutrient requirements under USDA’s Smart Snack regulations. CONTINUED >

Training Requirements • Professional standards training hour requirements are in place for all employees working in the School Nutrition Programs, as set by USDA. The required annual training hours for SFA personnel are: • Program staff > 20 hours per week - 6 hours • Program staff ˂ 20 hours per week - 4 hours • One person from every sponsor is required to view civil rights training and pass the quiz each year. Then, that person must train all other staff that work with the Child Nutrition Programs. This training for School Nutrition staff can be found within Moodle. • Program directors - 12 hours • Program managers - 10 hours Marketing and Events • Start thinking of your plans now for Indiana Food Day ! Our theme this year is local protein, so poultry, beef, pork, eggs, yogurt, beans, and/or cheese. Showcase local protein on your menus and plan a fun day for your students any day in October to build those connections on how their food gets from the farm to their tray. More information, including a toolkit, will be released early this fall. • Also, don’t forget about Apple Crunch. Crunch into a local apple and celebrate bringing the farm to your school any day in October! More information, including a toolkit, will be released early this fall. • IDOE created marketing materials for schools to download and utilize within their programs for free! Click here to access the Google Folder full of materials for every month of the year!

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