Region 6 ESC will be closed on July 3rd and 4th in observance of Independence Day. We will reopen on Monday, July 7th. We wish you a safe and joyful holiday weekend!

Just a heads-up—I'll be wrapping up my time at Region 6 ESC, with my last day on July 15th. It’s been an amazing five years, and I’ve truly enjoyed working with all of you. Thank you for letting me be part of your Child Nutrition journey—I’ve learned a lot and laughed a lot along the way!

Starting July 16th, Jeff Fillmore will be your go-to for all things Child Nutrition. He is ready to jump in and help however he can. You can reach him at jfillmore@esc6.net or 936-435-8234.

Wishing you continued success and maybe a few less procurement headaches 😉. It’s been a joy working with you!—Dina

Visit USDA for more information on the Final Rule and upcoming changes. Let us know what kind of resources would best support you in implementing these new meal standards – Click here!

TDA has released the Paid Lunch Equity Tool for the upcoming SY 2025-2026 on the NSLP Administration/Forms page

TDA has launched a web page to assist contract entities with avoiding duplicative costs. School Food Authorities planning to use federal child nutrition funds to contract with a consultant should check the page for guidance as they work to ensure the services they seek and contract for are not services that could have been provided at no cost from the Education Services Center or the Institute for Child Nutrition.

TDA has received approval from USDA to approve SFSP and SSO operators in good standing to serve non-congregate meals at outdoor SFSP or SSO sites when one or both of the following have occurred in the area where the site is located:

• The National Weather Service (NWS) issues a Heat Advisory, Excessive Heat Warning, or Excessive Heat Watch
• The Environmental Protection Agency has issued a purple flag or higher air quality warning for the area

The Waiver Request to Serve Summer Non-Congregate Meals in Cases of Extreme Heat/Poor Air Quality must be used to report non-congregate meals served under this waiver. While the form can be submitted after the service occurs, TDA will review and approve all requests and supporting documentation. If TDA determines that the applicable weather advisory was not issued or that the sponsor did not meet all requirements as noted below, TDA will notify the sponsor that any non-congregate meals must not be claimed for reimbursement.

School Year 2025-2026
Make sure your team logs into WBSCM to ensure to maintain active status. Please check your user accounts in WBSCM to ensure that appropriate SFA staff are active, have the correct roles assigned, and that their email addresses are up to date.

Round 2 is complete for direct delivery items. WBSCM requisitions are either associated with truckload sales order numbers or are blank, meaning they have been canceled.

Requests for USDA Foods can be tracked using the WBSCM Requisition Status Report. Pricing fluctuations will continue until items reach "Purchased" status.

Surplus direct delivery cases will be available throughout the program year. More information to be communicated soon.

Gold Star Foods will utilize a new warehouse in Fort Worth for the upcoming school year. TDA has updated all SY26 requisitions to reflect this change.

If you opted into the DoD Fresh Fruit and Vegetable program, this will be displayed on your WBSCM Entitlement/Bonus Summary report. Funda are loaded into FFAVORS. Unspent values in WBSCM cannot be moved to increase DoD Fresh program funds. Please remember to complete receipts in FFAVORS for each delivery within two business days of the delivery date.

TDA monitors the monthly utilization of DoD funds in FFAVORS to ensure proper use of entitlements. To maximize your DoD entitlement, SFAs should spend, at minimum, 10% of their funds per month. SFAs who have not been utilizing funds may risk redistribution.

The current rate of assistance published by USDA is 45 cents per meal. Initial PY 26 Planned Assistance Level (PAL) information is available in WBSCM reports under the Entitlement/Bonus Summary Report.

Refer to the Resources page on www.squaremeals.org, Food Distribution Program for NSLP, for helpful information regarding ordering USDA Foods. Round 2 Recap for direct delivery is posted on the Food Distribution for NSLP under the Resources Link

School Year 2024-2025
Program year ended 06-30-25. Refer to WBSCM Balances by reviewing the Entitlement Bonus/Summary Report.

For questions regarding USDA Foods, please contact your respective Education Service Center Child Nutrition representative(s) for guidance, training, and technical assistance in WBSCM.

Did you know TX-UNPS is retiring?
Over the next two years, TDA's nutrition and food distribution programs will move from TX-UNPS to our very own Texas Automated Nutrition System (TANS).
Some of our Food Distribution Programs will be the first to launch in TANS:

• The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)
• The Emergency Assistance Food Program (TEFAP)
• Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP)
• Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP)

August 2025

• FDP applications begins in TANS.

November 2025

• FDP claims begin in TANS.
• FDP compliance begins in TANS.

Join Us on July 8 for a TANS Talk: FDP Edition
TDA will host a TANS Talk webinar exclusively to help FDP organizations get up to speed on the transition. Bring your questions!

Tuesday, July 1 at 2:00pm-That's TODAY!!

The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) is a powerful tool in combatting childhood hunger by increasing students’ access to healthy school meals. CEP has been shown to strengthen food security, improve children’s diet, and bolster school meal participation, all while reducing administrative and operational burdens for school nutrition departments. The 2024-2025 school year saw significant increases in CEP adoption nationwide.

Join the Food Research & Action Center for a deep dive webinar detailing the findings from our latest report, Community Eligibility: The Key to Hunger-Free Schools — School Year 2024–2025.

REGISTER HERE

These virtual events have a cost associated with them and are not part of the Region 6 trainings.

Gain the confidence to ensure a safe and healthy kitchen environment for the children in your care.

Thursday, July 10 | 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Eastern

Register HERE

Discover what compensation philosophy is and how to research comparable salaries in the CACFP.

July 15, 2025 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM (EDT)

Register HERE

Join NCACFP for their biggest online training event of the year! They are bringing you workshops on nutrition, program administration, operations, financial and nonprofit management, and more!

Aug. 13-14 and 20-21 | 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm Eastern

Register HERE

They offer 100 full scholarships to attend at no cost. Apply HERE!