Local Food Program (Child Nutrition Sponsors)

Local Food Program (Child Nutrition Sponsors) is sponsored by Colorado Department of Education. Funding for child nutrition sponsors to purchase Colorado‑grown/raised products while supporting nutrition education.

Become a Sponsor - Colorado Department of Education search-form#clearSearch'> CDE Blank Default Post - When There Are No Closures or Notices search-form#clearSearch'> School nutrition programs provide students with healthy meals and snacks year-round. Programs include the National School Lunch, School Breakfast, Afterschool Snack and Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Programs.

Schools or organizations that do not participate in these programs but still want to offer milk may operate the Special Milk Program. In summer, the Summer Food Service Program serves meals and snacks to children and teens when school is out. Step 1: Determine if your organization is eligible to sponsor a child nutrition program.

All sponsors must demonstrate administrative and financial ability to manage a non-profit food service effectively and cannot be seriously deficient or terminated from any other federal child nutrition program in previous years.

A sponsoring organization must be a: Public or private non-profit school food authority, including charter schools, residential child care institutions, Bureau of Indian affairs, or state educational agencies A sponsoring organization must be a: Public or private non-profit school food authority Public or private non-profit college or university Public or private non-profit residential summer camp Unit of local, county, municipal, State, or Federal Government Any other type of private non-profit organization Hire, train, and supervise staff and volunteers Manage Finances and conduct a non-profit food service account Competitively procure food to be prepared or contract with a food service management company or meal vendor to be delivered Serve meals that meet federal meal pattern requirements Follow meal service requirements Follow all civil rights requirements Determine eligibility for meal benefits in school meal programs Establish site eligibility for summer meal programs Prepare claims for reimbursement Conduct outreach and marketing Ensure staff are trained on responsibilities specific to their role Ensure food service directors meet annual training requirements Ensure staff are trained on food safety requirements and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points plan Manage Finances and conduct a non-profit food service account Use child nutrition program funds only for program purposes.

Funds may not be used to purchase land or construct buildings Maintain a financial management system that meets CDE and federal requirements Limit current operating resources to an amount that does not exceed 3 months' average expenditures Conduct an independent audit of program operations and provide a copy of the audit to CDE Competitively procure food to be prepared or contract with a food service management company or meal vendor to be delivered Follow federal, state and local procurement requirements Maintain a procurement policy for purchasing goods and services Serve meals that meet federal meal pattern requirements Meal modifications must be made for students with special dietary needs that are considered a disability Follow the Smart Snacks competitive foods requirements and Colorado Healthy Beverage rules School lunch must be served between 10am-2pm.

School breakfast should be served near the beginning of the school day Summer meal sites can serve up to 2 meals per day, including holidays and weekends. Camp sites can serve up to 3 meals per day.

Establish a point of service and ensure meals counted contain all required components in correct quantities Establish, implement and review a local wellness policy for school meal programs Follow all civil rights requirements Ensure equal access to programs Display the "And Justice for All" poster in a location visible to participants Ensure program materials include the USDA nondiscrimination statement Determine eligibility for meal benefits in school meal programs Accept and process household income applications Verify a sample of household income applications to ensure complete and accurate information and verify student eligibility Complete at least four direct certification uploads each school year Sponsors opting into the Healthy School Meals for All program must serve free meals to all students at participating schools Establish site eligibility for summer meal programs All summer meal sites serving meals must meet eligibility requirements based on site type (e.g., open, closed-enrolled, camp) Conduct on-site reviews at each school serving breakfast and/or lunch by Feb.

1 each year using this monitoring form Conduct on-site visits and reviews of summer meal sites based on monitoring requirements Prepare claims for reimbursement Ensure claims are accurate Submit claims within 60 calendar days following the claim month Share information with families and communities about school and summer meals View Program Events & Deadlines Step 2: Complete the New Sponsor Form Use this form to share details about your program.

After submission, CDE School Nutrition will contact you to schedule a call to review eligibility, requirements, and answer questions. Step 3: Create a Financial Management Plan New school nutrition program sponsors will need to complete a business plan New summer meal program sponsors will need to complete the Financial Risk Assessment CDE School Nutrition approval is required before moving on to the next step.

Step 4: Receive a pre-approval visit from CDE’s School Nutrition Unit Once your business plan or financial risk assessment is approved, CDE School Nutrition will schedule a pre-approval visit to ensure you’re prepared to operate child nutrition programs and provide technical assistance.

Step 5: Complete an application for participation If approved to participate, the final step is to complete an application in the Colorado Nutrition Portal. This is the online system used to apply for program participation and submit claims for meal reimbursement. The School Nutrition Unit will provide you with a username and password to access the Portal.

Charter Schools are included in all Child Nutrition Programs offered by the CDE School Nutrition Unit. Learn ways a charter school may participate in child nutrition programs or change their school food authority in the release for transfer form below. Charter School Release for Transfer Form CDE School Nutrition works with RCCIs to ensure students have access to school meal programs.

RCCIs are operated by a federal, state or local government entity. In Colorado, RCCIs are recognized as facility schools by the Colorado Department of Education.

Institutions must operate principally for the care of children and include, but are not limited to: Residential and/or day program facilities for individuals with physical or mental disabilities Temporary shelters for abused and/or runaway children Juvenile detention centers Food Safety Training Requirements RCCI Meal Pattern Exemptions Waiver Form Eligibility Documentation Sheet for Residential Students Only Contact your point person for answers to program questions and support with applications, reviews and technical assistance needs.

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