1. El Paso Human Services, Inc.

2. El Paso Human Services, Inc.
At-Risk
Summer Food
Shelters
EPHSI has been running the CACFP program since 1984 and we sponsor over 200 day care homes and day care centers in traditional day care settings.
In 2014 we added the CACFP At-Risk program and in 2016 we added the Summer Food Program.
Our agency also runs a homeless shelter for young men ages 18 to 24 years, we do not provide CACFP services to this program because we have very few youth who are 18 and it’s not beneficial to provide meals under the CACFP. We do however run a day shelter for foster youth ages 16 to 24 and we have a population of youth 18 and younger who also bring their young children into the program. We offer at-risk services at the site to approximately 25 participants on an ongoing basis.

3. EPHSI – Serving Children
Low Income Households
Communities of Color
Immigrant Community
Border Community

4. At-Risk, Summer Food and Shelters
Increase Participation
Reach out to local agency programs
Local Teen Centers
Local Community Centers
Local Community Co-ops
EPHSI has 9 different programs and we cross train and refer throughout the programs agency wide in order to assist us with recruitment, staff training and providing added value to the services we provide.
We have a Community Youth Development program which concentrated on juvenile delinquency prevention. These programs are subcontracted to other entities within the community. Since they are already providing an after school service IE: tutoring, dance classes, art and crafts and other structured activities we have gone to them to participate in the CACFP at-risk and summer food programs. Usually they participate in both: At- risk during the school year and summer food when school is out. This gives them additional funds for their programs.
In addition we reach out to our existing traditional day care sites who are churches and are offering bible study or after school activities and have them participate in the the at risk program as well.
Additional recruitment is done through activity and community centers around town.
We have a community cafe and community garden who are associated with a local church who also participate in the at risk and summer food in order to recruit children to their youth programs by feeding them and offering activities after school.
EPHSI has a day shelter for foster youth and their families where we are currently providing an at risk program

5. New Meal Pattern Challenge with: Bread Products Snacks Options
Advantage:
Offer vs. Serve
Family Style
Implementing the new meal pattern has been a challenge at the at risk sites because of the bread products and the changes in pm snack products. Because these sites offer food items that are easy to prepare and all food is prepared on site, there have been challenges in offering allowable items under the new pattern that meet requirements. No longer are they able to offer donuts, cinnamon rolls, pop tarts and cookies no more than 2 x/wk. Now the sites must come up with alternative quick and easy allowable meals. It is a challenge for our program staff to offer alternatives and training in this area.
One good thing is that everyone is reading ingredient labels. Confusion and training is ongoing on reading labels properly and interpreting the information correctly especially regarding whole grains. Wording is sometimes confusing and %’s of grain products is confusing.
At risk facilities are offer vs serve sites – resulting in less waste.
In addition at risk and shelter sites are encouraged to offer family style meals – children eat better when they are serving their own meals.
Flavored milk for children over 6 is not a problem since many children in at risk programs are school age.
Juice – once/day for over 13 months again is not a problem due to age of at risk and summer food program kids.
We are also recommending that all at risk sites serve dinner instead of or in addition to a snack. It is more cost effective because the reimbursement is much higher and children eat a full balanced meal which is more satisfying than a snack.

6. Cultural Differences Concerns
Implementation of Bread products
Tortillas
Whole Grain Products – More expensive
- Substitutions with popular Mexican dishes
As I explained before we are a border community with cultural differences and a heavy Mexican culture that likes its fried and spicy foods. It has taken a very long time to get day care facilities to comply with serving 1% and skim milk...Latinos like their whole milk as well as heavy cream and cheese products.
Some of our facilities make their own products using lard and heavy cream, chiles for nachos, chorizo (beef/pork sausage high in fat content), pan dulce and churros.
Other examples of cultural items are:
Since any of these programs are no longer allowed to prepare fried foods on site such as tacos and flautas,are being substituted with soft tortillas, baking pre-fried items and using pre fried taco shells.
Whole grain products are more expensive especially when it comes to purchasing whole wheat flour tortillas by “Fit & Active” that cost twice the amount of regular tortillas and 3 times the amount of homemade tortillas. Packaging may also state 100% whole wheat, but read ingredients carefully to be sure.

7. Training Gradual Frequency Social Media Training
We have been offering training since last year when the new meal pattern announcement was made. Initially we started gradually offering training in groups on a quarterly basis and provided about 4 training’s during the year.
Our agency has given meal pattern training in the classroom, through our facebook page we offer short 5 minute refreshers on each component change that was made on the meal pattern.
In addition, the Texas Sponsor’s Association offers a series of training’s on the new meal pattern to each sponsor who is a member of the association at affordable cost...more about this later.
Not all information is bilingual
Summer Food Program is a short lived program operating during 3 short months of summer. Training for implementation of the new meal pattern will be a challenge as monitors will be struggling with on-site training and follow up. Many of our at-risk sites are also summer food sites so that will help in most instances.

8. Resources Websites Handout/Pamphlets Face book Training Sites
Texas Sponsor’s Association
The USDA pamphlets and posters in English and Spanish have been very helpful to our at-risk, summer food and shelter programs. They are easily displayed and used by cooks and staff in remembering what items are allowable.
NCA’s handouts with magnets are great for posting in kitchens and meal sites and great for reminders as staff are learning to implement the meal pattern changes.
Provider’s Choice handout’s are given during training’s and follow up monitoring visits.
Our monthly bilingual program newsletter also highlights different program changes each month for at risk, summer food and shelter sites.
Our agency Facebook page highlights best practices that are identified by our monitors during site visits and pictures are shared through social media
The Texas Sponsor’s Association offers a Brighton eLearing Training that and is available statewide for association members. For a once a year annual fee, sponsor’s refer their day care facilities who are able to log into the training site at no cost to them and take a 1 hour comprehensive online course module that enhances the training our agency has been giving them as well as refreshers and any updates on meal pattern requirements. Monitors also recommend this additional training during site visits if they feel the site staff are in need of additional training.

9. Implementing New Meal Pattern