Direct Certification

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Direct Certification

• Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
• School Nutrition Team
• Wisline Webconference
• September 2008

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What is Direct Certification?

• Direct Certification promotes participation in
  school meals programs by simplifying access to
  free meals for low-income children
• Process that allows local education agencies
  (LEAs) to certify children who are members of
  households receiving FoodShare, W-2 benefits, or
  Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservations
  (FDPIR) as eligible for FREE school meals without
  further application based on information provided
  by the State or local agency administering those
  programs
• In other words Direct Certification establishes
  eligibility for free meals without a paper
  application

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Direct Certification is NO LONGER optional!!
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Direct Certification Before School Starts

• Most important use - beginning of the school year
• To establish eligibility of returning students
• Takes the place of paper applications for
  students who match
• Matched lists should be obtained from the
  Department of Children and Families no more than
  4 weeks before school starts if possible
• Notification letters must be sent to families
  that are matched on your direct certification
  list
• To notify the family which children in the
  household are eligible for free meals through
  direct certification
• To notify the family that they do not need to
  complete income eligibility applications based on
  their categorical eligibility for FoodShare or
  W-2 benefits
• Letter must include information about how to
  notify the school if they do not want free
  benefits

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Direct Certification Throughout the School Year

• You can continue to run the direct certification
  process throughout the school year to catch new
  students those who begin receiving
  FoodShare/W-2 benefits during the school year
• List sent during the school year can include only
  new enrollees
• List only returns matches for those students
  currently receiving FoodShare or W-2 benefits

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Remember

• Students who match on your direct certification
  list are eligible for free meals for the entire
  school year and the first 30 operating days of
  the next school year
• even if they do not show up as matches later in
  the school year
• Siblings who do not match on your direct
  certification list must submit paper applications
  
• benefits via direct certification do not
  automatically apply to entire household

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The Process in Wisconsin

• Department of Children and Families shares
  FoodShare/W-2 eligibility of students with LEAs
  via matching of student information with their
  database
• Department of Public Instruction (DPI) enforces
  USDA regulations
• Confirm that LEAs conduct direct certification
  matching process each school year
• Confirm that LEAs correctly determine eligibility
  via results of direct certification process

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The Process in Wisconsin

• 2 IDs and Passwords Needed
• Create WAMS ID at http//on.wisconsin.gov
• Complete Computer Access Request Form (on DPI
  website) and fax to Department of Children and
  Families (608-267-0484) to obtain Mainframe ID
• May take up to 1 week to receive Mainframe ID
  from Department of Children and Families
• Will receive email from Department of Children
  and Families with further instructions

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The Process in Wisconsin

• Create Student File
• File is created in Microsoft Excel using specific
  formatting ? Template file on DPI website
• Must contain students first and last name,
  birthdate, and last four digits of schools
  agency code
• Create file folder for Excel files on hard drive
  called DWDCAREP.FREEMEAL
• Save Excel file as .prn file in above file folder

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The Process in Wisconsin

• Using WAMS ID and Mainframe ID, access file
  sharing database on Internet
• https//TAO.IT.STATE.WI.US/FTP_Logon.html
• Submit file through file sharing database to
  Department of Children and Families
• Within 15 minutes, matched file will be available
  to download to your computer
• Eligibility codes will be displayed after each
  childs name
• Run date (or the date the list was matched)
  will show at the top of the list

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What documentation is required for Directly
Certified Students?

• Print student lists matched through direct
  certification and keep on file
• Each list must contain
• Student names
• Birthdates
• Corresponding eligibility code for each student
  (appears on matched file)
• Run date of the list
• Run date of list date of approval for free meal
  benefits for those students who match
  (eligibility code Y)
• Keep lists on file for 3 years plus the current
  school year
• Directly certified students must be included on
  your benefit issuance list along with students
  that qualify for free/reduced meals via
  application or migrant/homeless/runaway status

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Challenges with Direct Certification

• Paper applications must be collected for all
  students not matched on your Direct Certification
  list
• All students from the same family may not be
  matched on Direct Certification lists
• Paper applications must be collected for these
  students
• List only returns matches for those students
  currently receiving FoodShare or W-2 benefits
• Students may not match due to differences in
  names or birthdates between schools and
  Department of Children and Families database
• Verify name spellings and birthdates with
  families or caseworkers if possible (remember
  matching process can be done multiple times
  during the school year)

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Benefits of Direct Certification

• Less work for the LEA in sending out, collecting,
  and processing applications
• If applications from directly certified students
  come in, they do not need to be processed keep
  on file separately
• Less paperwork for parents to complete
• Directly certified student lists are taken at
  face value no applications necessary
• They do not need to be included in your
  verification sample, which means
• Less applications to verify in October!
• Research continues to show that Direct
  Certification accurately brings more children
  into the school meals programs, which means
• More reimbursement for your school!

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For additional information on Direct
Certification

• See the DPI website for instructional videos and
  printable instructions http//dpi.wi.gov/fns/fin
  cou1.htmldirect-cert
• Contact Department of Children and Families for
  questions related to obtaining direct
  certification list
• dcfsecurity_at_wisconsin.gov
• Phone [phone] Fax [phone]
• For user ID and password issues
• Karen Lavallee karen.lavallee_at_wisconsin.gov or
  608-267-8934
• For technical support
• Diana Gleichauf diana.gleichauf_at_wisconsin.gov
  or 608-261-6984
• Contact DPI with questions related to eligibility
  and recordkeeping requirements

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Direct Certification Demonstration