Child Nutrition & Food Distribution Programs Civil Rights Training

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All Sponsors administering USDA Food Distribution Programs are required to provide civil rights training for all staff and volunteers who interact with program applicants or participants.  Examples include food pantry volunteers, warehouse workers, certification clerks, and program administrators.  Staff/volunteers must be trained at least one time per year and documentation of the training must be kept on file at the local level.  Staff/volunteers can review the training presentation or the training document.  The training presentation is recommended for first time training and the training document (shortened version) can be used as a refresher course or for those volunteers who do not participate on a regular basis.  If staff/volunteers complete the training presentation, then a copy of either the group or individual form, must be sent into the Child Nutrition and Food Distribution Office.  If staff/volunteers complete the training document, then the signed portion of the document must be sent into the Child Nutrition and Food Distribution Office.   

Individual Training

Group Training (You Tube)

All Sponsors administering USDA Child Nutrition Programs are required to provide civil rights training for all frontline staff and supervisors who deal with Child Nutrition program applicants and participants.  Examples include cooks, servers, cashiers, child care staff, clerks and administrators.  Staff must be trained at least once per year, and documentation of the training must be kept on file at the local level.

Child Nutrition program sponsors must make reasonable accommodations for participants who have disabilities.  A disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities such as seeing, hearing, eating, walking, breathing, learning, and communicating.  This definition includes food allergies and intolerances as applicable on a case-by-case basis.

For meal accommodations that can be accommodated within the meal pattern, no Medical Statement is required.

For meal accommodations that do not meet the meal pattern, a Medical Statement from a medical professional is required for the meal to be reimbursable.  Qualifying medical professionals include licensed physicians, nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants, and registered dieticians who provide medical care for the child.

Meal accommodations for non-disability reasons, such as religious, cultural, or ethical preferences, are allowable at the discretion of the sponsor. These accommodations must meet the meal pattern.

 

School Food Authorities receiving federal reimbursement for meals must take reasonable steps to ensure meaningful access to the information and services they provide.  For people with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) meaningful access may include interpretation and translation of vital documents because these individuals do not speak English as their primary language or have a limited ability to read, speak, write, or understand English.

Meaningful access is free, competent, and timely.

Reasonable steps would include an evaluation of the following four factors:

  • The number or proportion of LEP persons to be served or likely to be encountered
  • The frequency with which LEP individuals come in contact with the program
  • The nature and importance of the program, activity, or service provided by the program
  • The resources that are available and the costs to provide these services

Providing services to LEP individuals may include:

  • The distribution of SNP meal benefit forms in alternate languages
  • The hiring of a bilingual interpreter to assist program applicants or participants
  • The translation of vital documents to communicate program information
    • Vital documents may include applications, instructions, consent forms, notices of rights, verification notices, and documents requiring a response

A shortage of resources or anticipated costs to provide these services to individuals with LEP does not eliminate the requirement to provide language services. SFAs must explore the most cost-effective means of delivering services and information to people with LEP.  

Any person alleging discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability has the right to file a complaint within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory action.  Complaints may be written or verbal, anonymous or named. Complainants should be encouraged to complete USDA’s Child Nutrition Civil Rights Complaint Form, FNS 113, but this form is not required.

It is the sponsor’s responsibility to forward all civil rights complaints within 5 business days to: Director, North Dakota Department of Instruction, Child Nutrition and Food Distribution at 600 East Boulevard Avenue, Department 201, Bismarck, North Dakota, 58504. Phone: 1-888-338-3663.