Food and Nutrition Programs

Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) Informational Overview

To:	National School Lunch Program Directors and School Business Officials
From:	Kathleen C. Millett, Executive Director Office for Nutrition, Health and Safety Programs
Date:	February 24, 2015

Join the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's, Office for Nutrition, Health and Safety Programs, as we provide an overview of how your district can provide universal breakfast and lunch at no charge to students through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA), amended section 11(a) (1) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42.U.S.C.1759a (a) (1)) requires the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide an alternative to household eligibility applications for free and reduced price meal eligibility in high poverty local educational agencies (LEAs). This meal counting and claiming alternative is referred to as the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) and is available to all LEAs that have eligible sites. CEP is an option that can help schools achieve their educational goals by ensuring that children in low-income communities have access to healthy meals at school so they are ready to learn. In this program, schools agree to offer breakfast and lunch at no charge to all students. Designed to ease the burden of administering a high volume of applications for free and reduced price meals, CEP is a powerful tool to both increase universal access to child nutrition programs and reduce paperwork at the district, school, and household levels. To learn more information, we cordially invite you to our upcoming information session. Attendance by the School Nutrition Director and Business Manager is strongly recommended, as we will provide an overview of the CEP process, including eligibility requirements, financial forecasting, and determining the identified student percentage. Information session is scheduled on the following date and location.

Date	Location
Thursday, March 26, 2015	Hilton Garden Inn, Worcester, MA

Important Registration Information

The training is scheduled from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Registration will begin at 8:30 am.
The registration deadline is March 20, 2015. Please register as soon as possible. Directions for the location can be found on the registration link. If you have any questions related to the training, please contact Jheanell West at 781-338-6459 or by email. You may also contact Diane Sylvia at 781-338-6464 or by email.

Parking

Parking is available for a fee. There is a parking garage for the hotel directly across the street in the Major Taylor Parking Garage. Note: Major Taylor Blvd. was Worcester Center Blvd and may not be in all GPS systems or found in MAP quest at this time, we advise you use 35 Worcester Center Blvd. Guests should take their parting ticket to the front desk at the hotel to validate and will be charged $7.00 for parking at that time. Please make sure to notify the hotel staff that you are with the CEP Informational Session conference at the Hotel. Cash or credit card, will be the only form of payment accepted.

Snow Policy

If school is cancelled in the city/town where the meeting is being held, then the meeting is cancelled and will be rescheduled.

Additional Information

Temperature conditions are beyond our control. Please come prepared with a light sweater or jacket if necessary. We look forward to seeing you at this important training session, as the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office for Nutrition, Health and Safety Program strive to enhance the efficiency and quality of Child Nutrition Programs across the Commonwealth.

Last Updated: February 24, 2015