Policy Memo 125

EWPHCCS: Number 125 (01/09)

TO: All EWPHCCS Grantees

FROM: Lynne Oudekerk, Acting Director, Child and Adult Care Food Program

SUBJECT: New Education and Administrative Reporting System (EARS) for Eat Well Play Hard in Child Care Settings (EWPHCCS)

I. Purpose and Scope

USDA's Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) has developed a reporting system for the nutrition education component of the Food Stamp Nutrition Education program (FSNE). The new reporting system is called Education and Administrative Reporting System (EARS). EARS will provide uniform data and information about the nutrition education activities of participating FSNE projects across the country. The data collected will include: demographic characteristics of participant receiving nutrition education benefits, education strategies and contents, and information about resource use.

II. Background Information

  1. The Food Stamp Nutrition Education (FSNE) program is the largest nutrition assistance program funded by the United States Department of Agriculture. It is administered by New York State by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) in New York State. FSNE funds much of the EWPHCCS project in NYS. There is wide variation in the type of information provided and EARS was developed to standardize the type of data reported by FSNE projects nationwide.
  2. New York State Department of Health's Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) submits quarterly and annual reports containing EWPHCCS project demographic information and a summary of progress in implementing the project to OTDA. OTDA forwards data from all NY FSNE projects, including EWPHCCS, to USDA.
  3. The transition to EARS will require that all FSNE projects, nationwide, including EWPHCCS, change the type of data collected and the way in which data is reported. USDA mandates that EARS be fully operational by October 1, 2009.
  4. During the next several months CACFP will be designing an EARS-compliant data collection system and training EWPHCCS staff on its use.

III. Summary

EARS, developed by USDA's FNS, will provide uniform data and information about the nutrition education activities of FSNE-funded projects in all states. While EARS will require EWPHCCS agencies to change the way data is collected and reported, EWPHCCS staff will be advised of the specific changes through trainings held by CACFP. USDA mandates that EARS be fully operational by October 1, 2009. EWPHCCS Agencies may refer to the link below for further information about EARS: Education and Administrative Reporting System (EARS)