The California Department of Education (CDE) Nutrition Services Division is sending this notice to affected participants in the Child Nutrition Programs in response to an emergency proclamation on November 7, 2024, by Governor Gavin Newsom regarding the Mountain Fire.
VENTURA – Visiting communities impacted by the Mountain Fire in Ventura County, Governor Gavin Newsom today proclaimed a state of emergency in Ventura County due to the Mountain Fire. The fire has burned at least 19,643 acres, forcing the evacuation of residents, destroying homes, and threatening critical infrastructure. Yesterday, Governor Newsom also announced Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) approval of a Fire Management Assistance Grant to support state and local firefighting response.
A copy of the proclamation can be found here
(PDF).
Guidelines on Disaster Relief
For information on Governor Newsom’s emergency proclamation, please refer to the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom web page
.
For specific information on CDE Disaster Relief Guidelines, please refer to the CDE Disaster Guidance for Child Nutrition Programs web page.
For information on disaster assistance and resources in California, please refer to the CDE Disaster Guidance web page.
For information on emergency resources from federal, state, and local agencies, please refer to the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) website
.
Reimbursement Claims Submission Flexibility
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) can authorize the CDE to allow school food authorities, institutions, and sponsors to submit claims beyond the 60-day submission requirement. Claims submitted after 60 days, as a result of a disaster, are not subject to the one-time exception for late submissions. For more information on late claim submission due to disasters, refer to the USDA Policy Memoranda SP 46-2014, CACFP 12-2014, SFSP 18-2014 web page
.
For assistance with submitting your claim, contact your Child Nutrition Fiscal Service Analyst on the CDE Nutrition Services web page.
Use of U.S. Department of Agriculture Foods During a State/Federally Declared Disaster
Disaster relief organizations may designate schools as community feeding sites or request that schools provide their USDA Foods to other feeding sites. USDA Foods are to be released on request to recognized disaster relief organizations such as the American Red Cross or the OES. Information regarding USDA Foods usage, reporting, and claiming procedures during a disaster can be found in Management Bulletin FDP–01–2023 located on the CDE Use of USDA Foods in Disaster Feeding web page.
The Disaster Feeding Guidance for School Food Service Using USDA Foods can be downloaded from the CDE Food Distribution Guidance, Manuals, and Resources web page.
Contact Information
If you have any questions regarding disaster relief for the following programs, please contact:
School Nutrition Programs (SNP) & Summer Meals Unit
- Will Graening, SNP Specialist, by phone at 916-445-5723 or by email at wgraening@cde.ca.gov.
Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
- California Department of Social Services by email at CACFPinfo@dss.ca.gov, or contact your assigned analyst which can be found in Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS)
Download Forms CACFP-01 or on the CACFP Contact List web page
.
Food Distribution Program (FDP)
- Augie Aguilar, Food Administration Unit Manager, by phone at 916-445-4850 or by e-mail at aaguilar@cde.ca.gov.