Understanding USDAS Special Milk Program

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Understanding USDAS Special Milk Program

• Loriann Knapton, DTR, SNS
• Child Nutrition Consultant
• 2007-2008
• Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
• School Nutrition Programs

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The Special Milk Program or SMP.

• Started in 1955 with the purpose of
  providing milk to children in schools, child care
  institutions, and summer camps that do not
  participate in other Federal child nutrition
  programs. The program reimburses sponsors for the
  milk they serve.

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Eligibility Requirements for Schools

• Must be a recognized school
• Must operate as a non profit program with tax
  exempt status 501(c)(3)
• Participating students can not have access to
  school breakfast or lunch programs

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In other words.

• Schools who participate in the school meals
  programs may claim half-day students under the
  SMP only if those students do not have access to
  other school meals.
• Schools who do not participate in other school
  meals programs may claim all milk consumed by
  children under the SMP.

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Other requirements

• Participating schools must comply with Civil
  Rights laws.
• Participating schools must have an adequate Point
  of Service (POS) counting system
• Participating schools must develop and adopt a
  school Wellness Policy
• Participating schools must secure milk supplies
  through open and free competition

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Civil Rights

• May not restrict enrollment on the basis of race,
  color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.
• And Justice For All Posters

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Point of Service (POS)

• Milks must be counted and documented at the time
  the child receives it.
• Must provide protection from overt identification
• May include more than one milk per child
• May not include adult milks or milks used for
  cooking, class projects etc.

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Wellness Policy

• Required under USDAs Reauthorization of the
  child nutrition programs 2004
• Developed by a committee
• Needs to address the total school environment
• Intended to be a working document with changes
  and revisions adopted as needed.

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SMP options

• Pricing plan
• Pricing plan with free milk option
• Non pricing Plan

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Pricing Plan

• Milk is sold to all children with the
  reimbursement utilized to keep the cost to
  students low.
• ½ pint price should reflect difference between
  federal reimbursements and cost to operate the
  program

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For example

• The reimbursement rate for the 2007-2008 school
  year is .17 per half pint. If the dairy cost for
  your school is .25 cents per ½ pint and
  administrative/supply costs to operate the SMP
  are .05 cents per half pint, the cost to children
  for milk should be approximately .13 cents per ½
  pint of milk.
• Dairy Cost .25 (per ½ pint)
• Admin/supply .05
• Program cost .30
• Less reimbursement - .17
• Student cost for milk .13

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Pricing Plan with the Free Milk Option

• Schools may opt to provide milk at no charge to
  students who qualify for free/reduced priced milk
  benefits
• Schools are reimbursed at the normal
  reimbursement rate for children who pay and at
  the net dairy cost for children who qualify for
  free milk benefits.

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Free Milk Option Requirements

• Public release statement
• Applications for free milk
• Protection from overt identification

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Public Release

• Submitted each year
• Community publication
• Are not required to pay to have it published
• Grassroots distribution
• Community sites
• Libraries, food pantries, WIC offices

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Applications for Free Milk

• Must be completed by parent and determined by
  school official
• Based on income, food share or W-2 cash benefits
• Must include social security number of household
  adult if they have one
• All Materials may be downloaded at
  www.dpi.wi.gov/fns/milk1.html

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Protection from overt identification

• Must provide a payment option that does not
  overtly identify students who are receiving free
  milk
• Must provide daily accountability of milk
  consumption utilizing a method that does not
  overtly identify students receiving free milk

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Non Pricing Plan

• Children are not charged for milk. (The cost may
  be covered through tuition or boarding fees)
• Reimbursement is based on current years federal
  reimbursement rate. ( .17 for school year
  2007-2008)

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Recordkeeping Requirements

• Contracts
• Daily participation records
• Financial accountability
• Monthly Claims
• Purchasing
• Civil Rights Disabilities

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Special Milk Contract

• Updated each year
• Includes accountability procedures and pricing
  option
• Signed by school official
• Schools that participate in NSLP complete their
  contract on line

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Daily Participation Records

• Teacher checklist/ student roster
• Prototype available online at www.dpi.wi.gov/fns/
  milk1.html
• Must provide accurate and acceptable Point of
  Service (POS) count
• May not be based on dairy invoices, paid milk
  receipts, or attendance lists.

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Financial Accountability

• All funds must be used to support SMP
• Fund balance can not exceed 3 months operating
  costs
• Funds must be shown as separate line or ledger
  item in bookkeeping system.
• Excess funds may not be transferred to general
  fund.

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Monthly Claims

• Submitted online at www.dpi.wi.gov/fns/index.html
• Must be submitted within 60 calendar days of
  claim month
• Must be submitted from accurate and acceptable
  POS system.

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Purchasing requirements

• Must practice free and open competition
• Contracts exceeding 100,000.00 require formal
  bid
• Price quotes and bids must be documented.

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Civil Rights

• And Justice for All poster must be on display
  in public area near milk service areas.
• Schools utilizing the free milk option, must
  not overtly identify children receiving free milk
  benefits
• Students with documented disabilities must be
  offered a milk substitute as prescribed by a
  physician
• School agency must not restrict enrollment by
  race, color, national origin, sex, age, or
  disability as outlined by federal law.
• Non discrimination statement including complaint
  filing information must appear on all materials
  related to the SMP.

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Children with Disabilities

• If the child has a documented disability as
  determined by a licensed physician schools must
  provide a substitute beverage as prescribed by
  the physician without additional cost to the
  student.
• If a child has a milk intolerance schools may
  provide 100 juice and be reimbursed for it if a
  note signed by a physician is on file at the
  school.
• Schools are not required and may not claim for
  reimbursement substitutions for milk without
  prior documentation from the childs physician.

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Sanitation

• SMP only schools must provide milk storage
  facilities to ensure that milk is kept in a
  sanitary and temperature safe environment
• Schools who also participate in NSLP are required
  to have at least 2 sanitation inspections each
  year. The results of the inspections must be
  posted in a public area.

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Other things schools need to know about the SMP

• Schools are subjected to an on site review of the
  SMP every 5 years.
• All SMP materials including application
  materials, are available on the DPI website
• www.dpi.wi.gov/fns/index.html.
• And Justice for All posters are available by
  contacting the DPI School Nutrition Team.

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If you have more questions.

• You may contact
• Loriann Knapton, DTR, SNS
• Department of Public Instruction
• School Nutrition Team
• P.O. Box 7841 Madison WI, 53707-7841
• Phone [phone]
• Email address loriann.knapton_at_dpi.state.wi.us