Navigation

Public Records Request
Natural Resources Building
P.O. Box 42560
1111 Washington ST SE
Olympia, WA 98504-2560
Phone: (360) 902-1800

EFAP Section 6

Back
Home / Services / Food Access / Hunger Relief Agency Hub / EFAP / EFAP Manual / Section 6

What do you need today?

EFAP Procedures Manual Section 6: Client Management and Support

6.1 Qualifying Eligible Clients

  1. Food Assistance (FA) defines eligible clients.
    1. Eligible clients are people who are in need of food and reside in the State of Washington.
      1. Employees and volunteers meeting the same client eligibility requirements for services must be given the same opportunity to receive services and must be treated the same as other clients.
    2. There are no documentation requirements for clients participating in EFAP.
    3. This is the eligibility standard required by the State.
  2. Client notification.
    1. Client eligibility standards, policies, and intake practices must be posted for a client to view prior to receiving services, including online applications.
      1. These standards, policies, and intake practices are subject to review and approval by the Lead Agency or Food Assistance, as applicable.
      2. If changes are made the Food Pantry must ensure that these are also updated on the Food Pantry’s website.
      3. Food Assistance recommends the following language be included in your client eligibility standards:
        1. We welcome anyone who lives in the State of Washington to receive food from us. We may ask for some information about you and your family. You may decline (do not have to answer) any personal questions you don’t feel comfortable answering. This will not change the amount of food you receive.
    2. The client must be informed that:
      1. The client will not be denied food if they refuse to disclose any information.
      2. Under no circumstance will a client’s residence be used to deny food or limit the amount of food they receive, as long as the client resides within the State of Washington.
  3. Service areas.
    1. Food Pantries must provide the same level of service to all clients regardless of where the client resides within the State of Washington.
      1. A Food Pantry’s service area must not limit or deny their services to any client, including a person experiencing homelessness, that resides outside of the Food Pantry’s “declared” service area.
        1. All clients are to be treated with dignity and respect. Any attempts to limit client access based on where a client resides within the State of Washington is a barrier and not allowed for EFAP.
      2. As a courtesy to the client, the Food Pantry may provide the client with information regarding Food Pantries typically servicing the area in which the client resides, or the tribe that has established jurisdiction over the area where the individual lives. However, the client is under no obligation to seek services somewhere else.
      3. Food Pantries with appointment-based intake processes must allow all clients within the State of Washington to be eligible for an appointment during all operational hours.
      4. Allowable exceptions include:
        1. A Food Pantry at a school (pre-K-12 or college) only serves current students.
        2. A Food Pantry at a domestic violence shelter only serves current residents/service recipients.
        3. A Food Pantry home delivery program.
        4. A kid’s weekend backpack program.
    2. EFAP Food Pantries go to great lengths to meet their clients where they are at by utilizing a variety of service delivery models. This may include drive-through, curbside distribution, walk-up/walk-in, appointment only, pre-boxed/pre-bagged, shopping method, pre-order, or other models. Regardless of the model, Food Pantries must serve all clients that reside in the State of Washington.
  4. Food Pantry Client data.
    1. Required data collected for EFAP includes:
      1. The number of full-service client households.
        1. A household’s status (new or returning) and number of clients living at that household is self-declared by the client.
        2. More than one household may reside at a residence or home and would be counted as separate households for the purposes of EFAP.
      2. The number of full-service clients by age group.
        1. Age groups: 0-2 years old; 3-18 years old; 19-54 years old; 55+ years old.
      3. Client and household new or returning status.
        1. To improve data quality, Food Assistance has established a statewide requirement that all participating agencies collect required data based on the calendar year (January 1- December 31).
        2. To determine a client’s and household’s new or returning status, a Pantry may ask: Is this your first visit to any Food Pantry this (calendar) year?
          1. If yes, then the client is a new client and household.
            1. New client and household are defined as the first time a client visits ANY Food Pantry in the State of Washington in a calendar year (starting January 1 of each year).
          2. If no, then the client is a returning client and household.
            1. Returning client and household are defined as any subsequent visit a client makes to ANY Food Pantry in the State of Washington in a calendar year (starting January 1 of each year).
    2. Optional data collected for EFAP includes:
      1. Special Dietary Needs Clients (new and returning). These clients are also included in “full-service” client counts.
      2. Supplemental Clients (new and returning). These clients are in addition to “full-service clients” and are served less than 3 of any of the 5 main food groups.
      3. Kids Weekend Bags Clients (new and returning). Include only full-service kids weekend bags that contain a minimum of 2 days/4 meals/3 or more food groups.
      4. Total Kids Weekend Bags. Include only the total number of kids weekend bags that contain a minimum of 2 days/4 meals/3 or more food groups.
    3. Documentation must not be required to verify eligibility or assist in your data collection practices for EFAP. This includes pieces of mail, school records, birth certificates, driver’s license, or medical records. Under no circumstances should a Food Pantry require a client to provide a social security number, proof of citizenship, proof of income, proof of address, or proof of household size.
      1. Requiring documentation from clients is considered a barrier to service.
      2. If other funders require additional data collection outside of EFAP, which encourage or require verifying client information through documentation, then please work with those organizations to clarify the data they need and understand why this is required, with the goal of shifting policy toward acceptance of self-declaration of information.

6.2 Written Client Confidentiality Policies

  1. Must have written client confidentiality policies.
    1. All providers must respect the privacy of clients. Personally Identifiable Information (PII) collected, used, or acquired in connection with providing Food Pantry services must be used only for the purpose of those programs.
    2. PII includes any information that directly identifies an individual (e.g., name, address, social security number or other identifying number or code, telephone number, email address, etc.) or by which an agency intends to identify specific individuals in conjunction with other data elements, i.e., indirect identification (These data elements may include a combination of gender, race, birth date, geographic indicator, and other descriptors). Additionally, information permitting the physical or online contacting of a specific individual is the same as personally identifiable information. This information can be maintained in either paper, electronic or other media.
    3. Providers with direct client contact must have written client confidentiality policies on file.
    4. A provider cannot release, make referrals, divulge, publish, transfer, sell, or otherwise make known to unauthorized persons or other organizations, client PII without a signed client release of information form.
      1. A signed client release of information form shall include what client information can be shared and to whom or which agencies it will be shared.
      2. If the provider shares PII with other organizations, the Lead Agency must have a copy of the client release of information template on file.
    5. Providers agree to implement physical, electronic, and managerial safeguards to prevent unauthorized access to PII.
  2. Monitoring by Food Assistance of personal information collected.
    1. Food Assistance reserves the right to monitor, audit, or investigate the use of PII collected, used, or acquired by Lead Agencies. Not properly maintaining client PII could result in termination of the Agreement.
      1. Lead Agencies must monitor the use of PII collected by Sub Agencies for compliance.

6.3 Informational Resources for Clients

  1. All Lead Agencies and Sub Agencies providing direct services must provide information about wrap-around services.
    1. A Food Pantry must prominently display the 211 number and outreach materials for the benefit of its customers. See wa211.org for more details.
    2. Make available information regarding additional information that may be helpful to clients. This can include links to websites, handouts, pamphlets, or a list of services clients can take home with them about programs.
      1. Lead Agencies are responsible for ensuring Sub Agencies have referral information. Here are some examples:
        1. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP).
        2. School breakfast, lunch, and summer feeding programs.
        3. Rental Assistance programs.
        4. Senior centers.
        5. Organizations and associations for people with disabilities.
        6. Emergency shelters.
        7. Multi-cultural organizations.
        8. Local job training programs and local employment security offices.
        9. Public transportation facilities.
Click here to return to EFAP page
EFAP Procedures Manual Table of Contents
Section 5 Section 7
Revision History
Section 6 Revision 2024-07-01
pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy