This webinar gives an overview of the rulemaking process, highlights specific regulatory changes and provisions that impact the school meal programs, and provides information regarding resources for the final rule.
USDA support for school meals in fiscal years 2021-2024.
This proposed rule - Child Nutrition Programs: Revisions to Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans - is the next step in continuing the science-based improvement of school meals and advancing USDA’s commitment to nutrition security.
The purpose of this memorandum is to revise guidance on rural designations in the Summer Food Service Program and the National School Lunch Program’s Seamless Summer Option (SSO). The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 authorized a permanent non-congregate meal service option through the SFSP and SSO for children who live in rural communities with no congregate meal service. This memorandum supersedes SFSP policy memorandum SFSP 17-2015, Rural Designations in the Summer Food Service Program – Revised, April 21, 2017.
Form FNS-10 Report of School Program Operations
FNS held a stakeholder briefing that outlines the changes the proposed rule, entitled “Child Nutrition Programs: Revisions to Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans,” makes to the school meals nutrition standards.
USDA and the Biden Administration are committed to supporting nutrition security – consistent access to nutritious foods that promote good health – through the federal nutrition assistance programs. School nutrition professionals have made incredible strides in strengthening child nutrition over the past decade; research shows school meals are the healthiest meals children eat in a day!
USDA is proposing science-based updates to the school meal standards to make them even more nourishing for kids, yet feasible for our school meal partners. This infographic shows the proposed implementation timeline for updating the school meal standards.
FNS is offering a suite of operational flexibilities that will be available to child nutrition programs for summer 2022 and school year 2022-23.
FNS is offering this comparison table to assist state agencies and program operators as they transition from school year (SY) 2021-22 operations under COVID-19 nationwide waivers and flexibilities to operations designed around their own unique circumstances for SY 2022-23.