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// SCHOOL NUTRITION PROGRAMS
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About Us...
Child Nutrition is administered through the Texas Department of Agriculture. TDA resources are available online at www.squaremeals.org.

The Child Nutrition program at Region 17 is a service provided to all school districts throughout the region and is designed to provide training, technical assistance, and support for program compliance. Assistance is available through trainings, lab sessions, and direct on-site technical assistance with Child Nutrition program staff and administrators.
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NSLP Square Meals

Region 17 Child Nutrition Team

Tricia Hays

Tricia Hays, Coordinator

Child Nutrition Specialist
806-281-5835
thays@esc17.net
Katherine Artho
Katherine Artho

Child Nutrition Specialist
806-281-5809
kartho@esc17.net
Kammi Henderson
Kammi Henderson
Support Staff
806-281-5802
khenderson@esc17.net 
Tarrah Moreno
Tarrah Moreno

Child Nutrition Specialist
806-281-5811
tamoreno@esc17.net

ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW

About the Review

The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, as amended by the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, requires the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) to conduct an Administrative Review (AR) of School Nutrition Programs (SNP). TDA conducts Administrative Reviews (ARs) on a four-year cycle. As a new federal requirement, the AR is designed to conduct specified parts of the review off-site and others on-site. TDA will evaluate compliance with the following program requirements in the Critical and General Areas of Review which include: Meal Access and Reimbursement, Meal Pattern & Nutritional Quality, Resource Management, General Program Compliance and the operation of any other applicable SNP federal programs.

CE Staff involved in the operation of SNP will be heavily involved the review process (off-site and on-site) to respond to questions and provide documentation regarding the operation of SNP. The AR begins approximately 12 weeks prior to TDA doing an on-site review of program operations with the off-site portion of the review. The review is risk based, gathering information and documentation samples during the off-site review and then conducting a more targeted review on-site. CE Staff will be asked to utilize the Texas Unified Nutrition Programs System (TX-UNPS) when providing written responses to questions and uploading requested documentation.

Administrative Review and Procurement Review Resources

Click here to view the most recent Administrative Review/Procurement Review schedule on the Square Meals website. Important Note: The schedule is subject to change.

CYCLE MENU TOOLKIT

2024-25 Cycle Menu Toolkit
The Cycle Menu Toolkit was developed to assist Contracting Entities (CE) using the meal patterns and nutrition standards prescribed in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 in providing Texas school children with nutritionally-balanced school meals. These school breakfast and lunch meals were designed using a variety of menu items intended to be tasty, student-friendly, colorful, and with consideration given to ease of preparation and production.

The complete toolkit includes PreK-12 Breakfast Menus and a Lunch Menu for PreK, K-8 and 9-12, corresponding food production records, and recipes. Click each folder to the right for printable versions of each component of the toolkit. Requests for additional information can be submitted to Tricia Hays at thays@esc17.net.
SY 2024-25 Cycle Menu Toolkit

CHILD NUTRITION RESOURCES

FOOD SAFETY RESOURCES

Check this page for food safety training information and resources.

 

Food Safety Training

HACCP Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

Customize to your operation: 

The ICN Food Safety SOPs

 

View the monthly NSLP Newsletter from TDA on Square Meals. 

To subscribe to the Region 17 ESC Child Nutrition mailing list, please email Tricia Hays at thays@esc17.net. 

Thank you for visiting the Region 17 Child Nutrition website.  Everyone plays a role in teaching children the 3E's of Healthy Living — Education, Exercise and Eating Right.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. Mail:

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

1400 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

2. Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

3. Email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.