Child Nutrition Programs Civil Rights Training

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Child Nutrition Programs

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 one time per year and documentation of the training must be kept on file at the local level. 

         

Food Distribution Programs

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)

Resources for Child Nutrition Programs

Reasonable Accommodations for Persons with Limited English Proficiency (LEP)

School Food Authorities must take reasonable steps to assure “meaningful” access to the information and services they provide…especially for people with Limited English Proficiency (LEP): individuals who do not speak English as their primary language and who have a limited ability to read, speak, write, or understand English.

Reasonable steps would include an evaluation of the following 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 to people’s lives
  • 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

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