Food for thought [Vol. 9, no. 2 (June 2008)]

Food For Thought

Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning

Volume 9, Issue 2

June2008

Bright from the Start Nutrition Services Vision Statement:
Working together with our partners to eradicate hunger and ensure nutritious meals for ALL Georgians!

From the Chair of the Director

Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (Bright from the Start) is working to make sure that no child in the State of Georgia goes hungry when school is closed this summer. The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is administered by Bright from the Start, a federally funded program that provides free meals to eligible children in low-income neighborhoods during the summer.
An individual or organization can participate as a feeding site for children in its community. A feeding site can be a school, church, recreation center, playground, park, community center, day camp, migrant center or other location where children can come and receive nutritious meals. Individuals may also volunteer to help at sites in their area.

Each summer, Bright from the Start works with organizations to provide over 700,000 children in the state of Georgia with free and nutritious meals by providing orientation sessions, training and program monitoring.

For information about becoming an SFSP feeding site or finding a feeding site, please e-mail us at SFSP@decal.ga.gov or call Sherry Mays at (404) 651-7426 or Shanita Webb at (404) 656- 6411, or call "211"- the United Way information line.
Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Updates
SFSP Sponsors are required to notify each county health department where their sites are located. For example, if a Sponsor has sites that are located in 3 different counties, the Sponsor must send a Health Department letter to each of the 3 health departments, notifying them of the sites that are providing meals in the specific county of operation.

Sponsors are required to ensure that the correct verbiage in the non-discrimination statement of the Public Release is used. Sponsors must use the statement that is provided at training and/or the sample Public Release document that is provided on the SFSP data CD. Sponsors are prohibited from creating their own non-discrimination statement and/ or using alternate verbiage of the statement.

The Small Purchases Threshold for using vended/contracted services is $500,000. If a contract exceeds the $500,000 threshold, the Sponsor is required to conduct a Sealed Bid Procedure.

Sponsors who operate closed-enrolled sites have the option to qualify the site based on School Data or Income Eligibility Statements. If the site qualifies based on Income Eligibility Statements, the Sponsor must submit copies of the Income Eligibility Statements along with their SFSP application.

Bright from the Start will be distributing two USDA Policy Memos to all SFSP Sponsors. The Policy Memos include information about the Duration of Area Eligibility, and the Ability to Share Income Information.

For further information about the SFSP updates, please contact the SFSP Manager, Nikki Venisee at (404)463-1494 or the SFSP Coordinator, Shanita Webb at (404)656 6411.

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Infant Meal Policy Memo
The CACFP Infant Meal Policy Memo dated 7/7/05 states "Institutions must offer a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved ,,ready-to-feed commercially prepared iron-fortified milk-based infant formula to all infants in their care".
To clarify this statement, Institutions that supply formula for infants who are in their care can prepare the infants bottle by using "readyto-feed" formula, but cannot use formula that requires mixing, such as concentrated or powdered formula. If the parent/guardian provides the infants formula, the formula has to be given to the center in bottles that have been prepared by the parent/guardian the center cannot prepare the infants bottle.
If you have further questions about serving infant formula, please contact Bright from the Starts Nutrition Services Division at 404-656-5957.
Grain and Bread Components
In order for grain products to be credited as a grain/bread component for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), they must be enriched or whole-grain, or made from enriched or whole-grain meal and/or flour. In the past, the CACFP has allowed corn- meal (cornmeal) and corn flour to be counted as a whole grain for crediting grains/breads; however, this was recently changed. Effective February 2008, products identified as "corn- meal" and "corn flour" should no longer be considered as whole grains for the CACFP unless they are labeled as "whole corn" (or other "whole" corn designations, such as whole grain corn, whole ground corn, whole cornmeal, whole corn flour, etc.), or "enriched" corn (or other "enriched" corn designations, such as enriched yellow cornmeal, enriched corn flour, enriched corn grits, etc.).

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Updates
1. All CACFP Instutions will receive revised Household Letters to distribute to parents/guardians. The revision will include a statement which explains that household members who become unemployed are automatically eligible for free or reduced priced meals via evidence of the Income Eligibility Statement.
2. All CACFP institutions will receive FNS Instruction 113-1, which outlines the Civil Rights Compliance and Enforcement Requirements. All institutions are required to adhere to all Civil Rights guidelines.
3. Adult Day Care facilities are prohibited from using funds under Title III of the Older Americans Act of 1965 for costs and/or expenses charged to CACFP.
For further information about the CACFP updates, please contact the Program Managers- Falita Flowers at (404) 656-6452 or Lou Brienza at (404) 6517433.

Perfect Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Reviews
Nutrition Services acknowledges the following Institutions for having perfect CACFP reviews:
February of 2008 Lafayette Christian School, Inc had a perfect 90 day review.
March of 2008 Always Kids Child Care Center, Inc had a perfect 90 day review. Atkinson County Board of Education, Pre-K had a perfect 3 year review.
Bee Happy Daycare, Inc had a perfect 90 day review. Child Care and Beyond, Inc dba Angel Care had a perfect 1 year review.
Congratulations and continue to keep up the good work!!!

Lets Create Healthy Stars!
Strategies to Prevent Childhood Overweight

Remove Calorie-Rich Temptations

Only allow children to eat them
sometimes (in moderation).
Replace with low-fat, low-sugar
food, such as: ~ A medium apple ~ A medium-sized banana ~ 1 cup of blueberries ~ 1 cup of carrots, broccoli, or bell peppers with 2 tbsp. of hummus

Children should
engage in at least 60 minutes of moderately intense physical activity most days of the week.
Moderately intense
physical activity can include:
~ Playing Tag ~ Playing Soccer ~ Jumping Rope ~ Swimming ~ Dancing ~ Brisk Walking

)

Encourage Healthy
Eating Habits
Provide plenty of
vegetables, fruit, whole grains and/or bread.
Choose lean meat,
poultry, fish, and beans for protein.
Limit consumption of
sugar and saturated fat.
Include low-fat or
non-fat milk or dairy products.
Encourage them to
drink plenty of water.
Serve reasonably-sized
portions.

Help Children Stay Active

Limit the time that children watch television,
play video games, or surf the internet to no more than two-hours per day.
Encourage and find fun physical activities for
children to do with family or on their own.
For children who are two-years of age or
younger, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not recommend television viewing.

Reduce Sedentary Time
www.cdc.gov

Scheduled Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Trainings

Annual Training
The FY09 CACFP Annual Training is scheduled to begin June 30, 2008. Training registration announcements were sent to all CACFP Institutions and Sponsors in late May 2008.
Quarterly Trainings
Civil Rights Training the training will provide information about the United States Department of Agricultures (USDA) Civil Rights requirements for operating the CACFP. The training will be a virtual tutorial that will be available in CNP 2000. The training was launched in May 2008, and all Institutions and Sponsors are welcome to register for the training. For more information about the training and registration, please contact Lou Brienza at (404) 651-7433.

CACFP Training and Orientation organizations that wish to operate the CACFP under a direct agreement with Bright from the Start are required to attend a two-day program training. The training includes information about Bright from the Start, CACFP eligibility requirements, nutrition and menu planning, record keeping, and other essential CACFP information. Currently, we have two trainings that are scheduled in the metro-Atlanta area for July and August. For more information and/ or to register contact Leslie Truman at (404) 657-1779.

We are here for YOU!
Nutrition Services
Jackie Romain Director 404-651-8197 Jackie.romain@decal.ga.gov
Lou Brienza Program Manager 404-651-7433 Louis.brienza@decal.ga.gov
Falita Flowers Program Manager & DCH Sponsor Coordinator 404-656-6452 Falita.flowers@decal.ga.gov
Nikki Venisee SFSP Manager 404-651-8193 Nikki.venisee@decal.ga.gov
Sonja Adams Policy Administrator 404-463-0970 Sonja.adams@decal.ga.gov
Marissa Hamm CACFP Admin/ Review Manager 404-651-7181 Marissa.hamm@decal.ga.gov
Meggan Hemans-Reese CACFP Admin/ Review Manager 404-656-6452
meggan.hemans-reese@decal.ga.gov
Leslie Truman CACFP Administrative Assistant 404-657-1779 Leslie.truman@decal.ga.gov

Wanda Simkins CACFP Application Specialist 404-651-7191 Wanda.simkins@decal.ga.gov
Brenda Carter Nutrition Consultant 678-920-4026 Brenda.carter@decal.ga.gov
Deidrea Thompson Nutrition Consultant 678-222-7789 Deidrea.thompson@decal.gagov
Valerie Coulton Nutrition Consultant 770-222-6676 Valerie.coulton@decal.ga.gov
Sonya James Nutrition Consultant 770-357-7012 Sonya.james@decal.ga.gov
Cassandra Sylvester Nutrition Consultant 678-222-7787
Sylvester.cassandra@decal.ga.gov
Bridgette Merrett Nutrition Consultant 770-357-7062 Bridgette.merrett@decal.ga.gov
Rae-Marie Lockhart Nutrition Consultant 478-599-9801
Rae-marie.lockhart@decal.ga.gov
Reynald Salamo Nutrition Consultant 866-370-3203 Reynald.salamo@decal.ga.gov
Anjulyn Davis Training Coordinator 404-656-6292 Anjulyn.davis@decal.ga.gov

Teresa Todd Accountant 404-656-7181 Teresa.todd@decal.ga.gov
Shanita Webb SFSP Coordinator 404-656-6411 Shanita.webb@decal.ga.gov
Sherry Mays SFSP Administrative Assistant 404-651-7426 Sherry.mays@decal.ga.gov
Finance Glenda Hambrick Budget Officer 404-651-7411 Glenda.hambrick@decal.ga.gov
Aneshia Harris Claims Administrator 404-656-3325 Aneshia.harris@decal.ga.gov
MIS/Technology
Charlotte Stevenson MIS -Nutrition Program Coordinator 404-463-5006
Charlotte.stevenson@decal.ga.gov
Audit
Tanya Astin Audit Coordinator 404-656-6293 Tanya.astin@decal.ga.gov
Website www.decal.state.ga.us

Nutrition Staff News
Nutrition Services has two new members who joined the department in April of 2008.
We have Sonja Adams who is our new Policy Coordinator; and we have Nikki Venisee who is our new Summer Food Service Program Manager.
Falita Flowers and Marissa Hamm recently received promotions. Falita has become one of the Nutrition Services Program Managers, and Marissa has become one of the Nutrition Services Review Managers.
Congratulations!!
For Your Information
The CACFP and SFSP are equal opportunity programs. If you believe you have been discriminated against because of race, color, national origin, age, sex, or disability, write immediately to the Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250.