Verification School Year 20062007

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VerificationSchool Year2006-2007

• Alabama
• Department of Education
• Child Nutrition Programs
• Revised October 25, 2006

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What is Verification?

• The confirmation of a students eligibility
  for Free and Reduced-Priced meals under the
  National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast
  Program.
• Required annually by the USDA
• Reauthorization Act of 2004

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School Year 2006-2007

• Verification Deadlines
• As of October 1
• Count Total Number of Approved Applications
• November 15
• Verification Process Completed
• March 1
• Summary Submission to State Department

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4 Steps to Selecting Applications for
Verification

• As of October 1
• Step 1- Count ALL approved free reduced priced
  meal applications.
• (Does not include Direct Certification.)

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4 Steps (Cont.)

• Step 2- Separate applications into two stacks
• Error-Prone Applications
• Applications that household income is within 100
  monthly or 1,200 yearly of USDA income
  guidelines.
• Not Error-Prone Approved Applications
• Select from these randomly to meet sample size
  requirements if not enough Error-Prone
  applications.

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4 Steps (Cont.)

• Step 3- Calculate number of applications to be
  verified
• Standard Sample Size Method
• Use this method unless your district is on the
  list posted on the states website under SFAs
  Qualifying for Alternate Verification Method. If
  you qualify, you have a choice of using either
  Standard or Alternate Sample Size.

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4 Steps (Cont.)

• Standard Sample Size
• 3 or 3000 of approved applications (recorded in
  step 1 of 4), whichever is less

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4 Steps (Cont.) Standard Sample Size
Calculation

• _____________,
• Total number of approved applications recorded in
  step 1 of 4
• X .03 (3)
• ______________applications to verify
• OR
• 3,000 approved applications, whichever is less
• (Round all decimals upward)

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4 Steps (Cont.)

• Alternate Sample Size
• SFAs Qualifying for Alternate Verification
  Method
• 2 Choices

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4 Steps (Cont.)

• Alternate Sample Size 1
• 3 or 3000 of approved applications (recorded in
  step 1 of 4), whichever is less

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4 Steps (Cont.) Alternate Sample Size
Calculation 1

• _____________,
• Total number of approved applications recorded in
  step 1 of 4
• X .03 (3)
• ______________applications to verify
• OR
• 3,000 approved applications, whichever is less
• (Round all decimals upward)

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4 Steps (Cont.)

• Alternate Sample Size 2
• 1 or 1000 of approved applications (recorded in
  step 1 of 4), whichever is less
• PLUS
• The lesser of one-half of one percent (0.5) of
  Food Stamp and TANF applications

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4 Steps (Cont.) Alternate Sample Size
Calculation 2

• _____________
• Total number of approved applications recorded in
  step 1 of 4
• X .01 (1) ____
• PLUS()
• _____________
• Total number of food stamp/ TANF applications
• X .005 (0.5) ____

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4 Steps (Cont.)

• Step 4- Pulling verification applications
• If you used Standard Sample Size
• First, pull from the error-prone applications to
  select the required number of applications for
  verification from calculation on Step 3A.

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4 Steps (Cont.)

• If you used Alternate Sample Size 1
• Pull from the approved applications to select
  the required number of applications for
  verification from Step 3B choice 1.

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4 Steps (Cont.)

• If you used Alternate Sample Size 2
• First, pull from the approved applications to
  select the required number of approved
  applications for verification from Step 3B choice
  2.
• PLUS()
• From the food stamp/ TANF applications,
  pull required number of food stamp/ TANF
  applications for direct verification from Step 3B
  choice 2. Use sheet provided for direct
  verification.

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After Initial Selection

• LEAs are encouraged to avoid verifying the same
  family for 2 consecutive years.
• Must conduct confirmation review on selected
  applications if not completed before verification.

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Timeline for Process
October 1 November 15
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Guidelines for Household Notification Letter

• Letter to notify household of verification must
  include the following information
• Informs household to submit income documentation
  from between 1 month before the application
  submission and the point of verification
• For 1 month (Usually 2 pay stubs)
• Gross income
• Net income only for farmers or self-employed
  persons

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Guidelines for Household Notification Letter,
Cont.

• Deadline for information to be submitted before
  benefits are discontinued.
• The Privacy Act and Non-Discrimination Statement
• Include an approval officials phone number that
  households can reach with no charge to them
  (local, toll free, or collect).

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2nd Notification Letter to Parents

• Advises the household of
• The change or no change in benefits
• Reasons for the change
• That an appeal must be filed within 10 calendar-
  days to continue benefits.
• Instructions on how to appeal
• Household may reapply at any time (with income
  documentation) after verification completion

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November 15- February 28

• Tracking of Non-Response Families

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District Summary

• Submit electronically to state agency by
  Thursday, March 1, 2007 on internet form.
• Forms and instructions found on State website
• Do not send information in hardcopy form

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• Frequently
• Asked
• Questions
• 2006-07

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Criteria for Eligibility for Alternative Sample
Size?

• Any LEA with preceding school year nonresponse
  rate less than 20.
• Large LEAs with 10 improvement in nonresponse
  rate.

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Not Enough Error-Prone Applications?

• Not enough Error-Prone applications to meet
  number needed for sample size?
• Select additional applications randomly to meet
  sample size requirements.

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Problem meeting required Sample Size?

• Reasons for not meeting sample size
• Students left district.
• Confirmation review revealed errors in initial
  determination and no longer has benefits to
  verify.
• Solution
• Replace the application with another application
  to verify and meet the sample size requirement.

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Type of Documentation To Be Submitted?

• Written evidence received directly from the
  household.
• The household may identify a collateral contact
  in which the SFA could obtain the requested
  information.
• Collateral contacts include employers, social
  service agencies, migrant workers agencies,
  religious, civic organizations, etc.

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Insufficient Evidence

• Household sends insufficient written evidence or
  does not respond.
• LEA must make at least one additional attempt to
  contact the household and inform them that
  failure to comply will discontinue benefits.
• Can be in writing or by phone.
• Must document any contact with household.
• Required and is checked during CRE audit.

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Zero Income Households That Get Picked for
Verification?

• Household must provide written documentation
  describing the households circumstances when no
  income is indicated on the application.

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Time Periods for Changing Eligibility Status?

• Reduction or Termination of benefits-10 calendar
  days advance notice.
• Increase in benefits- ASAP up to 3 days to
  implement. Household must be notified.
• Changes in status must be documented, records
  kept and retrievable.

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What To Document?

• Initial all changes
• Date of documentation
• Include any important information
• Who
• What
• When
• Where
• Why

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What If A Parent / Guardian Appeals?

• Should a household appeal during the 10 calendar
  day advance notice period, the district must
  continue to provide benefits originally issued to
  the child until a final determination is made.
• Otherwise benefits are changed at the end of the
  10 days.

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Hearing Procedure?

• Follow the districts policy statement.
• Hearing official must be an individual who is not
  involved with the approval or verification
  process.
• Household may request a school conference prior
  to a formal hearing.

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Households that Reapplyafter Verification?

• If benefits are changed due to verification,
  they must submit income documentation as required
  by verification to reapply for benefits.

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Record Keeping Requirements

• Keep a full record of the verification process
  including
• Copies of notices/letters and dates sent
• Notes on contacts made
• Results of verification
• Reasons for denial or change in eligibility
• status and the date
• Signature of verifying official
• Copy of Verification Summary
• Save for 5 years

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Students reapplying after Verification?

• Students who reapplied and were re-instated for
  benefits after being taken off for
  non-responsehow to count as non-response or
  response?
• Student may NOT be counted as having responded to
  verification.

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Application Reviewers??

• 1st Party Reviewer (Determining official)
• 2nd Party Reviewer (Confirming/Verifying)
• Hearing Official
• The hearing official must not be a Child
  Nutrition Program employee but must be a member
  of the Board of Education.

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What is Direct Certification?

• The process under which LEAs certify children who
  are members of households receiving assistance
  under the Food Stamp Program/Temporary Assistance
  to Needy Families, as eligible for free meals
  from the State Department Of Education only.
• Do not contact DHR until application has been
  selected for verification.

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Direct Certification FAQs

• When to run??
• Pulled from DHR files as of July 1st
• Only for use in the first month of school
• Not intended to be used as real time data
• What if application is turned in later in the
  year showing income that exceeds guideline for
  free lunches?
• Do not change eligibility status of any direct
  certification approved students.

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What Is Direct Verification?

• Direct verification is using income and program
  participation information from public agencies
  administering certain programs to complete Food
  Stamp and TANF verification.
• Use sheet on next slide to complete direct
  verification.

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What Is Direct Verification?, Cont.

• Programs for Direct Verification
• Food Stamps
• State TANF
• State Medicaid
• SCHIP State Childrens Health Insurance Program

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Point of Contacting Public Agencies?

• Direct Verification is the only time a school
  district should be contacting public agencies
  using list.

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What is For Cause?

• The district has an obligation to verify all
  questionable applications as for cause.
• Any verification that is conducted for cause is
  in addition to the sample size required.

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Privacy Act Statement

• The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act
  requires the information on this application. You
  do not have to give the information, but if you
  do not, we cannot approve your child for free or
  reduced priced meals. You must include the social
  security number of all adult household members.
  The social security number is not required when
  you apply on behalf of a foster child or you list
  a Food Stamp Program, Temporary Assistance for
  Needy Families (TANF) Program or Food
  Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
  (FDPIR) case number or other FDPIR identifier for
  your child or when you indicate that the adult
  household member signing the application does not
  have a social security number. We will use your
  information to determine if your child is
  eligible for free or reduced priced meals, and
  for administration and enforcement of the lunch
  and breakfast programs.

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Non-discrimination Statement

• In accordance with Federal law and U.S.
  Department of Agriculture policy, this
  institution is prohibited from discriminating on
  the basis of race, color, national origin, sex,
  age, or disability. To file a complaint of
  discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of
  Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400
  Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C.
  20250-9410 or call [phone] (voice and
  TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and
  employer.

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• QUESTIONS?