Latest News for the Summer Meal Programs

TANS Update

Published: 100 days ago
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As announced at MegaCon 2024, the Texas Department of Agriculture is happy to share we will all be transitioning from the Texas Unified Nutrition Program System (TXUNPS) to a new system in program year 2026 – the Texas Automated Nutrition System (TANS)! For the past decade, TXUNPS has served TDA’s nutrition programs as a single integrated web-based application, but the time has come to upgrade. System users from the state, Education Service Centers (ESCs), and sponsoring organizations will soon begin using TANS to support the same nutrition programs through application process, claims, compliance, and more. 

You may be asking, “Why do we need to change systems?” Well, the main challenges behind the change is that TXUNPS is a highly customized system managed by a vendor that runs on older technology so our ability to adjust or enhance the system is very limited and the changes that can be made are completed very slowly. These obstacles do not support operational efficiency or effective administration of the programs, so TDA decided to find an alternative to TXUNPS.

Through a search that begin in 2022, TDA staff determined Washington, DC's system - Orchard - provided the best opportunity to start fresh. Orchard is serving as the baseline and is being built on to create a TDA-managed system known as TANS. TANS will provide a web-based platform adapted to meet our state's child nutrition program needs and will allow our division to be more flexible and adapt to regulatory changes more quickly, better manage the system, and more efficiently address bugs and implement enhancements. Plus, it is easier to navigate and uses modern technology.

Development on TANS is already underway, so you can expect a training schedule and more very soon. Bookmark, subscribe, and stay tuned to make sure you’re ready to dive into the exciting new system!

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Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

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1. Mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
2. Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
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