Want to get ahead of TANS?  Join our External TANS Talks.  Each month, we will take an inside look at different parts of the system or look at what you may need to do to help you complete a task in TANS.  This month, we will look at some sections of the NSLP application and explore who you may need to reach out to for information to complete those sections.

We are moving TANS Talk to Teams Webinars starting in May.  The registration link is located on the Square Meals TANS page.  Please note - you will need to register each month.

Use the TANS Talk Feedback Form to submit any TANS questions you would like to see reviewed during the call. We will cover questions received at least 48 hours prior to the call to give our team time to prepare for the meeting.

The next TANS Talk is on Thursday, May 14 at 1 p.m. (CDT).

TDA is happy to provide a deep-dive walkthrough of the March 6, 2026, release of the consolidated CACFP Handbook and associated forms. This four-part, 2-hour training covers comprehensively the substantive updates to the handbook, the policies and rationale for those updates, and the forms that were also updated in conjunction with this release.

You can find the trainings below and on the CACFP Resources page (under Webinars).
 

• Part 1 - Comprehensive Walkthrough (Sections 2000 and 3000)

• Part 2 - Comprehensive Walkthrough (Sections 4300 - 11000)

• Part 3 - Updated Center-Specific Guidance (Section 4100, Financial Reviews of Sites, At-risk Site Reviews) (for sponsors of child care centers, At-risk sites, adult day care centers, emergency shelters, and outside-school-hours care centers)

• Part 4 - Day Care Home Eligibility and Enrollment (Section 4200) (for day care home sponsors)

TDA Conference Training: From Stage to Screen
Could not make it to MegaCon this year? Great news! You asked, and we listened. We are bringing the most in-demand conference sessions straight to you through our MegaCon Webinar Series.

Join us each month this summer for interactive training webinars that give you access to the most current information and provide steps you can use right away. You’ll be actively involved from start to finish as our sessions cover everything from your program’s financials to building training that sticks, all while you earn USDA Professional Standards Training hours without ever leaving the office.

Click the headline title to view the full article.

USDA’s Team Nutrition is excited to announce the release of “Serving Vegetables in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)” on-demand CACFP Halftime webinar.

This on-demand webinar focuses on creative and appealing ways to offer vegetables at meals and snacks in the CACFP. It also highlights current CACFP meal pattern requirements and demonstrates how these standards align with the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Real Food Pyramid. The webinar discusses menu planning flexibilities, strategies for offering a variety of vegetables, and includes a Frequently Asked Questions section addressing common issues related to serving vegetables in the CACFP.

Visit the “Serving Vegetables in the CACFP” webpage to get the training worksheet and recorded webinar.

To receive a certificate of participation after viewing this webinar, please visit the National CACFP Sponsor Association Learning Center and complete the post-webinar practice questions. It may take a few days to receive your certificate.

The 2026-2027 Income Eligibility Guidelines (IEGs) for all child nutrition programs have been released and posted to SquareMeals.

Additionally, the following resources have been updated with the latest IEGs:

• 2027 Income Eligibility Guidelines for Determining Free or Reduced-Price Benefits (H1625-A) – For CACFP Operators

• 2026-2027 Income Eligibility Guidelines for Determining Free and Reduced Price Benefits (NSLP and SMP Resource)

• Instructions for Applying for Free and Reduced-Price School Meals (NSLP/SBP Resource – English and Spanish)

• Instructions for Applying for Free Milk Benefits (Special Milk Program Resource – English and Spanish)

The following SFSP Participant Notification Prototypes have been updated with the 2026 IEGs:

• 2026 Participant Notification of SFSP Meals - Closed Enrolled Site - NON-AREA ELIGIBLE

• 2026 Participant Notification of SFSP Meals - CAMP SITE

*As SFSP closed enrolled sites, camps, and conditional non-congregate sites will likely be qualifying children at the beginning of the summer, they will need to use the 2026 IEGs that expire on June 30. If determining eligibility for children after June 30, SFSP sponsors are instructed to update the prototypes to reflect the 2027 IEGs.