.Purpose

Policy

Background

Release Date:

06/13/18

Definitions

Requirements

Verification Docs

 

CALFRESH

63.201.3 Direct Certification

Purpose

( ) To release a new policy ( ) To release a new form

(X) To convert existing policy to new writing style only – No concept changes ( ) Revision of existing policy and/or form(s).

Policy

Direct Certification (DC) is a federally-mandated process that Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) must use to certify school-age children (Grade K to 12) receiving CalFresh and CalWORKs/CalFresh benefits as eligible for free school meals without the need for a school lunch application.

 

Note: This policy will not be implemented in LRS. There will be no impact to the districts’ operations. Information about this program will be available on the CalFresh website.

Background

As of October 5, 1999, California Department of Social Services(CDSS) collaborated with California Department of Education (CDE) to expand the implementation of DC for free meals through CalFresh and CalWORKs/CalFresh benefit eligibility.

 

Assembly Bill (AB) 1385 (enacted on September 28, 2005) added Section 49561 to the Education Code to mandate CDE develop a computerized data matching system using existing database to be used by LEAs to directly certify school age children receiving CalFresh and CalWORKs/CalFresh benefits for free school meals. To meet the mandate of AB 1385, the CDSS collaborated with CDE to allow a state level match of CalFresh and CalWORKs/CalFresh data with CDE student data to directly certify eligible students for the free school meals program.

 

The Child Nutrition and Women, Infants, Children Reauthorization Act of 2004, Public Law 108-265 (June 30, 2004), amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to mandate that LEAs implement direct certification; the Reauthorization Act also amends the Food Stamp Act to require that the state/local CalFresh agency cooperate with LEAs to implement direct certification.

 

Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) has entered into partnership with 179 schools/school districts in Los Angeles County.

 

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 instituted additional reforms to strengthen and expand direct certification. Two of the reforms are: (1) the elimination of the completion of a school lunch application as means of direct certification, and (2) the number of times LEAs conduct matching activities through the DC Program. The LEAs use DC data provided by the Department for the matching activities. LEAs are required to conduct direct certification three times per year; once at or around the start of the school year, and again at three months, and six months after that initial effort.

Definitions

Term

Description

California Department of Education (CDE)

Oversees the state’s diverse public-school system, which is responsible for the education of more than six million children and young adults in more than 10,000 schools with 295,000 teachers. CDE oversees enforcing education law and regulations and continuing to reform and improve public school programs.

California Department of Social Services (CDSS)

Responsible for the oversight and administration of programs serving California’s most vulnerable residents.

Direct Certification (DC)

Is a federally mandated process that Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) must use to certify school-age children (Grade K to 12) receiving CalFresh and CalWORKs/CalFresh benefits as eligible for free school meals without the need for a school lunch application.

National School Lunch Program (NSLP)

Is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day.

Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA)

Is to strengthen the NSLP by increasing reimbursements that will enable foodservice programs to increase healthy offerings. It allows for additional funding to enhance nutrition programs for schools, as well as increase opportunities for low-income families to participate in the NSLP.

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

Is an agreement between two or more parties. Example: County of Los Angeles DPSS and LEAs.

Requirements

The implementation of the DC process by LEAs participating in federal meal program(s) is mandatory.  LEAs must enter into an agreement with, and adhere to the Los Angeles County DPSS MOU.  DPSS provides schools/school districts computerized direct certification data that identifies school age children receiving CalFresh and CalWORKs/CalFresh benefits residing in the zip codes serviced by the schools/school districts.  LEAs match enrolled students against school-age children receiving CalFresh and CalWORKs/CalFresh and direct certify them for free school meals without the need to submit a school lunch application.  LEAs are required to conduct DC process three times per year; once at, or around, the start of the school year, and again at three months, and six months after the initial effort.

 

CalFresh Nutrition Program staff:

 

·          Administer and facilitate the DC-MOU process by working actively and closely with LEAs;

·          Provide Enhance File Transfer instructions and computer access to LEAs who are required to download the list of school age children receiving CalFresh and CalWORKs/CalFresh residing in the school-provided zip codes;

·          Assist in increasing the number of LEAs DC in California;

·          Implement the DC Program in compliance with the privacy and confidentiality laws; and

·          Provide technical support, if necessary.

Verification Documents

N/A