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April 2024 Monthly Newsletter
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Collaborate at TDA’s MEGACON! Roundtable discussions will be part of the conference May 14-16 in Austin. Join us for the latest state and federal updates, best practices, and guidance for enriching your program. Take away an understanding of guidelines for federal food nutrition programs. A Preliminary Agenda is available now. Register today!
Visit SquareMeals.org for more information.
Farm Fresh at MegaCon
TDA’s Farm Fresh team will have two sessions at MegaCon this year. Farm Fresh Foundations will present an overview of the Texas Farm to School programs and important updates. The second session features a panel of child nutrition directors and Farm Fresh experts sharing how to get started with Farm Fresh activities. The panel will be followed by a roundtable session to answer your questions about Farm Fresh activities. Please submit any Farm Fresh MegaCon session questions you have here.
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Order Summer Meal Programs Promotional Materials
The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) has developed no-cost materials you can use to promote the availability of summer meals that help Texas children ages 18 and younger as well as eligible people with disabilities access no-cost meals each summer. Please visit SquareMeals.org to order no-cost materials today! Also available are downloadable resources such as buttons and banners that can be used on websites and emails, and bookmarks and door hangers that can be printed out and distributed.
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RELEASE: Proposed Rule for Serious Deficiency Process in CACFP and SFSP
On February 21, 2024, USDA introduced a proposed rule that seeks to make the application of serious deficiency procedures in the Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program more consistent, effective, and in line with current requirements under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. USDA proposes to add clarity to the serious deficiency process by defining key terms, establishing a timeline for full correction, and establishing criteria for determining when the serious deficiency process must be implemented.On March 9, 2024, the 2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act was signed into law and provides new guidelines for School Nutrition Program sodium targets, service of low-fat flavored milk, vegetable substitutions in the School Breakfast Program, procurement of poultry from China, and NSLP Paid Lunch Equity requirements for School Year 2024-2025.
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Institute for Child Nutrition - Virtual Instructor-Led Training Sessions Now Open!
Register for Spring Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) sessions. Topics include preventing foodborne illness, Buy American, forecasting, infant meal pattern requirements, grain ounce equivalents, and more. Sessions fill quickly – Register today!
A new look for the Professional Standards Training Tracker Tool (PSTTT)!
The Professional Standards Training Tracker Tool (PSTTT) has a new look with graphic images of training statistics. Employee users can quickly view their progress to meet annual training requirements along with their Achievement Badges. Manager and Director users can view the progress of their employees and historical completion information from previous years. Explore the Professional Standards Training Tracker Tool today: https://pstrainingtracker.fns.usda.gov/
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Farm Fresh Surveys Open Now
TDA has created a short (5–10 minutes) survey to support Farm Fresh programming. This year’s survey has been revamped to be less time consuming for CEs. It includes questions that will help determine what resources can be created to increase Farm Fresh activities. Respondents can remain anonymous. Please take a few minutes to complete the form here: Farm Fresh Survey ‘24
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RELEASE: Proposed Rule for Serious Deficiency Process in SFSP and CACFP
On February 21, 2024, Food and Nutrition Service published the Proposed Rule entitled “Serious Deficiency Process in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).” Through this proposed rulemaking, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is proposing important modifications to the serious deficiency process in CACFP, extending the process to CACFP unaffiliated sponsored centers, and establishing a serious deficiency process in SFSP.
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The 2024-2025 Income Eligibility Guidelines (IEGs) and associated forms for all child nutrition and household programs have been released and posted to SquareMeals. Participant income applications that also contain the IEGs will be released closer to their effective date of July 1, 2024.
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The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) recommends registering with the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) on the ICN Website. ICN offers a wide range of self-paced trainings to help you navigate the complexities of CACFP. Their resources cover various aspects of the program, including nutrition, meal planning, and compliance.
For those seeking additional training courses or looking for local in-person training options, we recommend visiting your local Education Service Center's website. You can find a list of Education Service Centers on SquareMeals.org. They often offer region-specific training opportunities and resources.
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Contact Information
Email contacts for technical assistance -
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TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
COMMISSIONER SID MILLER
This product was funded by USDA.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider. |
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