FY2021: Child and Adult Food Program Meal Pattern Training Grant

Fund Code: 720

Purpose:

The purpose of this Federally-funded targeted grant program is to support sponsoring organizations, and institutions operating the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) in their efforts to develop and train center staff or providers on the CACFP meal pattern. Grant recipients can use these funds to train staff/providers on the specific meal pattern as well ways to plan and prepare nutritious foods.

Priorities:

This grant seeks to expand the reach of CACFP training to program staff and Family Day Care (FDC) providers by supporting CACFP Institutions. Grant recipients should aim to develop or modify available DESE trainings in ways that can expand the knowledge base of individuals responsible for planning and preparing meals. Additionally, trainings should introduce new skills and competencies that would offer diversity in meals so they may align with the regional and cultural preferences of participants.

Priorities of this grant are to increase the knowledge base of institution staff and providers as it relates to:

1. How to assess whether menus follow the CACFP meal patterns, and how to identify a reimbursable meal
2. How to prepare and offer meals and snacks that follow the planned menu
3. How to determine which foods are creditable and non-creditable

Additionally, these grants funds seek to expand the skill base of providers/staff as it relates to:

1. Plan menus that follow the meal patterns
   1. Menus should offer a variety of offerings and incorporate cultural and regional preferences
2. Serve all required components, in the appropriate serving sizes
3. Collaborate with families to meet the needs of all participants with food challenges/allergies/special nutrition needs, as well as infants' developmental readiness, and modifications for adults, as applicable

Eligibility:

This funding is available to a targeted group of CACFP sponsors which serve a wider variety of participants as it relates to age, location, and other factors and therefore require more training opportunities. The following sponsor types have been selected because of their potential reach with these grant funds, as well as the diversity in audience served (infants, children, shelters, etc.) which require tailored trainings.

The targeted sponsor types for this grant include:

• Large Family Day Care Sponsors (over 100 providers)
• Adult Day Health sponsors of more than 5 sites
• Emergency Shelters
• Sponsors of more than 5 Head Start program sites
• Center-based sponsors of 3 or more program site types, i.e., Child Care, Outside School Hours, and After School/At Risk Program

Funding Type:

Federal CFDA: 10.536

Funding:

Approximately $90,000 is available. The funds will be equally distributed to all targeted recipients, so that $3,000 will be available for each sponsoring organization.

Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this RFP document.

Fund Use:

Grant award shall be used for costs associated with the development and implementation of meal pattern and meal service trainings. Funds shall be used to design, distribute, and evaluate training of center staff or FDC providers. All goods, services and contractual duties must be delivered by August 31, 2021.

Funds may be used for, but not limited to:

• Cost for hiring substitutes so staff/providers may attend training
• Translation of training materials
• Training supplies
• Procurement of electronic devices or software, such as tablets, laptops, etc. to implement training activities. This includes online training platforms to offer socially distant training options

All trainings and resources that come from the availability of these funds must be made available to DESE so they may be publicly shared with all CACFP sponsors and institutions.

Project Duration:

Upon Approval – 8/31/2021

Program Unit:

Office for Food and Nutrition Programs

Contact:

Shannon Raymond

Phone Number:

(781) 338-6471

Date Due:

Friday, March 26, 2021

Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. on the date due.

Required Forms:

Part I — General — Program Unit Signature Page — (Standard Contract Form and Application for Program Grants)

Part III — Required Program Information

Additional Information:

Nutrition Programs Website

Submission Instructions:

Submit all required grant materials through EdGrants.

If you do not know your Applicant Number (LEA code/District code/Applicant code) or have never received DESE funding before, please contact Shannon Raymond immediately to begin EdGrants registration.

In order to apply for this grant, you will need to log into EdGrants: Front Office with an assigned DESE user name and password.

Please note: It is up to the sponsor to determine who to add as EdGrants Front Office users in order to submit grant application and make payment requests. Please review the EdGrants: User Security Controls to make informed decisions regarding assigning your district level users.

Once login information for EdGrants is obtained, register with the Funding Opportunity to create and name the grant. Please use the following naming convention for your "Applicant Project Name" in EdGrants:

FY21 FC 720 (Applicant Name)

All items listed under the required forms section of this RFP should be uploaded / attached in the Attachments List formlet of the Application Submission in EdGrants. This includes a signed and scanned PDF of Part I / Coversheet with Superintendent's signature as well as Part III Required Program Information. The final requested budget must be entered directly into EdGrants as part of the application submission process.

For Guidance Documents regarding EdGrants, visit EdGrants: User Guides and Information.

Last Updated: February 18, 2021