2021-2022 School year is now upon us! We have schools who will start early in August and others who will start later. We have put together the below quick checklist for schools to ensure they are starting off their Child Nutrition Programs on the right foot. Administering your Federal Meal programs, in a Compliance world, takes planning and preparation.

• Texas require you post an annual media release - be sure to check www.squaremeals.org website and ensure that you have the correct language.

• Did you update all your forms to the 2021-2022 templates? Annual parent letter, meal applications, etc.?

• All policies and procedures should get a review and an update before back-to-school trainings begin.

• Any negative student balances should be cleared out beginning July 1 so that all accounts are starting either positive or at zero.

• Now is the time to map out and schedule your Wellness Committee Meeting, and make sure the most recent School Wellness Policy is posted to your website.

• If you collect student payments for meals, don't delay on getting out your first invoices. This often can uncover meal application issues.

• Do you have a vendor who provides meals or do you provide meals to other programs? Check your Memorandum of Understanding or vendor invoices to ensure you are being invoiced or charging at the correct rate per meal, according to your 2021-2022 contract ot MOU.

• Are you a self-op kitchen? Your cycle menus should be complete at this point, and entrée items tweaked for student appeal and acceptability. Keep an organized recipe book and CN label binder in your kitchen, along with all proper temperature logs and HACCP food safety compliance.

• All after school care program (snacks) monitoring must be completed within the first four weeks of start date, for each site. If you participate in CACFP/Supper, be sure you monitor the program in the first weeks of operation, and document, document, document! Remember, if it’s not in writing it did not happen. If it is in writing, that is how it happened.

This is just a small snippet of compliance points that should be on your TO-DO List during the first couple of operating months heading into the new school year. Contact us if you need compliance support. We are always a phone call or text away.