Child Nutrition Director (CND)

Established in 1998, the MSBO Voluntary Certification Program supports the ongoing professional development of school business officials. The program is a mark of distinction that reflects professional achievement and demonstrates a person’s dedication to his/her profession.

Benefits of Child Nutrition Director certification:

The Child Nutrition Director (CND) certification:
1. provides access to information and training that is specific to Federal and State (Michigan) laws and regulation.
2. provides resources for quality child nutrition programs in Michigan schools; and
3. provides a basis for advancing professionalism of Child Nutrition Directors in Michigan Schools.

The CND Program

MSBO certification courses provide a great deal of information in a short time. They are intended to cover major points about their respective topics, offer an opportunity for questions and discussion, and provide resource information for future use.

Our recommended beginning course for Child Nutrition Director Certification is School Meals Overview Workshop through MDE or School Nutrition Basics through SNAM. Although anyone may benefit from this or other individual certification courses, the full program is generally intended for Child Nutrition Directors in their first 1-5 years of employment. However, any person employed in food service who meets the stated requirements may receive Child Nutrition Director Certification. There is no requirement for holding a particular position in a school district.

Requirements

This program and the courses listed have been created and reviewed by the Food Services Committee and Professional Development Committee of MSBO. An applicant for certification must be a member of MSBO.

In some circumstances, courses from other sources may be counted toward MSBO certification. Please be aware that some courses and/or requirements may change. MSBO and the committees that created this program continue to evaluate and make minor modifications as deemed appropriate.

MSBO’s Certification Program Benefits:

Provides access to information needed to succeed in your job.
Offers practical overviews of key areas of law, regulations and practices.
Identifies resources for information that may be utilized at a later time.
Assures a quality curriculum is developed and monitored by the MSBO Professional Development Committee.
Uses experienced practitioners to teach classes.
Offers seminars at regular intervals and reasonable prices.
Uses adult learning principles and provides a learning environment where colleagues can share experiences and information.
Coordinates with the SNA Level I and Level II certification requirements

Questions?

Contact Courtney Byam at 517.327.5937;
or Debbie Kopkau at 517.327.2587.

Upcoming CND Certification Events

Click here for certification classes scheduled for the 2025-2026 year.

For other certification classes, visit the following:

Child Nutrition Director (CND) Course Descriptions

To obtain the Child Nutrition Director (CND) certification, you must complete 57-61 hours within a three-year time period. The courses which must be taken to meet the requirements are listed on this page.

Requirement 1 of 4

Select one of the Meal Basics courses from the following list:

Core Competencies Training for New Directors (18 hours):

(Offered by MDE): Overview of school nutrition programs, including regulations and requirements needed to operate the programs. A year-long virtual class that meets monthly.

OR:

School Meals Overview Workshop (10 hours):

Two-day-class that focuses on completing the meal component certification tool. Additional topics include Meal Patterns, Production Records, Product labels, Meal Counting/Claiming, Offer Vs Serve, Student Eligibility, Professional Standards requirements, and other school nutrition topics. (Offered by MDE)

AND:

SNAM #100 – School Nutrition Basics (10 hours):

Provides a practical application for your school meals program including meal requirements, federal and state regulations, and hands-on group activities. (Offered by SNAM)

Total: 18-20 hours

Requirement 2 of 4

Select one of the Food Safety courses from the following list:

Sanitation and Food Safety (10 hours):

(Offered by SNAM: #130): Understand Michigan Food Law 2007, foodborne illnesses, requirements for providing safe and sanitary equipment, pest prevention, and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points.

ServSafe® (8 hours):

ServSafe® is a food safety certification program sponsored by the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation. It meets local, state, and national certification requirements.

Offered By:

Total: 8 or 10 hours

Requirement 3 of 4

The following courses must be completed:

Financial Management (4 hours):

(Offered by SNAM: #415): Sound financial principles are identified as the primary foundation of child nutrition programs. Materials, case studies and work sheets cover revenue, expense, balance sheets, meal equivalents, meals per labor hour, pricing, and budgets.

Food Service Program Accountability (3 hours):

Develop a comprehensive internal audit/ evaluation system for reviewing all aspects of your food service program. Learn how to perform audits in all areas to ensure compliance of local, state, and federal regulations and guidelines, including policies and agreements that govern food service operations.

Labor Relations/Employment Law (6 hours):

Understand the major state and federal employment laws that apply to public schools. Learn about collective bargaining, wage and hour, discrimination, COBRA, Family Medical Leave Act and other state and federal retirement issues.

Nutrition I (10 hours):

(Offered by SNAM: #180): Learn essential nutrition facts, understand the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and discover more about sodium, sugar, fat, cholesterol, and weight management.

Certification Wrap-up (2 hours):

Celebrate completion of your certification program! Reflect on what you have learned and your role in the educational process and your school district. This class can be taken only if you are two classes or less from completing your certification (not counting the Certification Wrap-Up Session).

Elective (3 hours):

(Offered by SNAM/MDE/MSBO) Any class can be taken in any of the other certification tracks or designated as such.

Total: 28 hours

Requirement 4 of 4

Select one of the Communications courses from the following list:

Effective Communications (3 hours):

Learn techniques and strategies to send clear messages, create credibility, and develop strategic communications programs that are effective for your school district.

Team Leadership (3 hours):

Learn how to match your leadership style with the culture of the organization. Matching leadership style to the cultural landscape will allow you to increase your productivity, decrease communication problems and strengthen your conflict management skills.

Conflict Resolution (3 hours):

(Offered by SNAM: #143) Learn about conflict, how individuals handle it, causes and values, characteristics of conflict resolution styles, and ways to practice more effective skills for listening and building rapport.

Total: 3 hours

To obtain the Child Nutrition Director (CND) certification, you must complete 57-61 hours within a three-year time period. The courses listed above must be taken to meet the requirements of the CND certification track.