What Does Colorado FF Mean for All of US?
The recent Colorado FF or Healthy School Meals for All bill that passed in November means that the State of Colorado will be funding the difference between the Federal Free Reimbursement Rate and the Federal Reduced and Paid Rates in order to make the meals free to our households beginning School Year 2023-24.
Below is an estimate of the income per lunch meal under the Healthy School Meals for All bill, based on today’s reimbursement rates:
What does this mean for the State of Colorado?
As long as households continue to fill out a Free and Reduced Application each year, the State of Colorado will be impacted according to their projections. If households fail to fill out a Free and Reduced form each year, then the State of Colorado will have to pay a much larger portion of the reimbursement because the money won’t be coming from the federal government to cover the Free and Reduced reimbursements. Failure of having Free and Reduced Applications turned in each year by families will have a major impact on the Healthy School Meals for All program and will place the State of Colorado in financial jeopardy and/or may cause the funding to be discontinued all together.
What is my role as a parent to ensure the program succeeds?
As mentioned, it is important to continue filling out the Free and Reduced Application each year that you think you may qualify in order to help sustain the program. It is also important that families and students understand that only Reimbursable Meals will be free under this plan. That means that students must take the following for each of the following meals:
Snacks, beverages, extra portions, a la carte items, etc. will not be free. So, if students wish to purchase those items, they must have money on their account or cash to pay for them.
What does the D70 Nutrition Services Department have to do to maintain this program?
D70 Nutrition Services must opt in to the Healthy School Meals for All program each year as we fill out our yearly application with CDE. In doing so, we must utilize the Community Eligibility Provision program for all schools that qualify. Doing so does not impact whether students will receive a free meal or not, but it’s a mandate of the Healthy School Meals for All program nonetheless. Other than that, our operations will remain fairly similar to normal. We will continue to collect and process Free and Reduced Applications. We will continue to follow the nutrition rules and regulations set forth by the USDA. We will continue to monitor our services and file for reimbursement claims each month as we always do.
Optional Funding Opportunities
Many of you may have seen the optional funding provisions in the FF bill. The two funding opportunities pertain to increasing pay rates or providing stipends to front-line cafeteria workers and receiving extra funding to source local foods. While we haven’t received much detail on these two options as of yet, we do know the following about each of those:
For more information, please go to the following link:
http://www.cde.state.co.us./nutrition/healthymealsforallguide
Below is an estimate of the income per lunch meal under the Healthy School Meals for All bill, based on today’s reimbursement rates:
What does this mean for the State of Colorado?
As long as households continue to fill out a Free and Reduced Application each year, the State of Colorado will be impacted according to their projections. If households fail to fill out a Free and Reduced form each year, then the State of Colorado will have to pay a much larger portion of the reimbursement because the money won’t be coming from the federal government to cover the Free and Reduced reimbursements. Failure of having Free and Reduced Applications turned in each year by families will have a major impact on the Healthy School Meals for All program and will place the State of Colorado in financial jeopardy and/or may cause the funding to be discontinued all together.
What is my role as a parent to ensure the program succeeds?
As mentioned, it is important to continue filling out the Free and Reduced Application each year that you think you may qualify in order to help sustain the program. It is also important that families and students understand that only Reimbursable Meals will be free under this plan. That means that students must take the following for each of the following meals:
- Breakfast: Students must take a minimum of the entrée and a fruit or juice. Students may take an entrée, fruit, juice, and a milk if they wish. But students must take the minimum.
- Lunch: Students must take a minimum of 3 out of the five “components” (protein, grain, fruit, vegetable, and milk) that are offered and regulated by the USDA. One of those three components must equate to a 1⁄2 cup serving of fruit or vegetable. Again, students may take all of the components with their meal, but they must take the minimum to be considered free.
Snacks, beverages, extra portions, a la carte items, etc. will not be free. So, if students wish to purchase those items, they must have money on their account or cash to pay for them.
What does the D70 Nutrition Services Department have to do to maintain this program?
D70 Nutrition Services must opt in to the Healthy School Meals for All program each year as we fill out our yearly application with CDE. In doing so, we must utilize the Community Eligibility Provision program for all schools that qualify. Doing so does not impact whether students will receive a free meal or not, but it’s a mandate of the Healthy School Meals for All program nonetheless. Other than that, our operations will remain fairly similar to normal. We will continue to collect and process Free and Reduced Applications. We will continue to follow the nutrition rules and regulations set forth by the USDA. We will continue to monitor our services and file for reimbursement claims each month as we always do.
Optional Funding Opportunities
Many of you may have seen the optional funding provisions in the FF bill. The two funding opportunities pertain to increasing pay rates or providing stipends to front-line cafeteria workers and receiving extra funding to source local foods. While we haven’t received much detail on these two options as of yet, we do know the following about each of those:
- Increasing pay or providing stipends: If approved, D70 Nutrition Services would receive twelve additional cents for every meal served the previous year to allow for pay increases or a stipend program to help retain employees. This program should be available beginning the 2024-25 School Year.
- Local Food Sourcing: If approved, D70 Nutrition Services could receive up to 25 additional cents for every meal served the previous year to focus on local food procurement. If opting into the program, an advisory committee made up of parents and students must be formed to weigh in on menu selections to ensure that they are culturally relevant, healthy, and appealing to all students. This program should be available beginning the 2024-25 School Year.
For more information, please go to the following link:
http://www.cde.state.co.us./nutrition/healthymealsforallguide