This memorandum provides clarification on nationwide waivers related available to all states, school food authorities and sponsoring organizations providing monitoring flexibilities in child nutrition programs during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency.
Under this waiver, program operators in a state with an approved waiver allowing non-congregate meal distribution during COVID-19-related operations may distribute meals to a parent or guardian to take home to their children.
This memo establishes a nationwide waiver to support access to nutritious meals and snacks while minimizing potential exposure to COVID–19, in response to the COVID–19 Child Nutrition Response Act. This waiver applies to afterschool snacks in the National School Lunch Program and at-risk afterschool meals and snacks in the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
With the recent passage of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act to assist with the novel coronavirus public health emergency, WIC received an increase in funding for the program as well as increased ability to provide states with the flexibilities they need to support mothers, infants and children that rely on WIC.
In light of the exceptional circumstances of this public health emergency, FNS is granting a nationwide waiver to help minimize potential exposure to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). This waiver applies to the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.
Due to the exceptional circumstances of this public health emergency, USDA is establishing a nationwide waiver to support access to nutritious meals while minimizing potential exposure to the novel coronavirus. This waiver applies to the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Food Service Program.
This rulemaking proposes changes to simplify meal pattern and monitoring requirements in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. The proposed changes, including optional flexibilities, are customer-focused and intended to help State and local Program operators overcome operational challenges that limit their ability to manage these Programs efficiently. In the National School Lunch Program, the proposed rule would add flexibility to the existing vegetable subgroups requirement.
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide updated guidance on the child nutrition program flexibilities available during unanticipated school closures. Schools may face unanticipated closures due to natural disasters, unscheduled major building repairs, court orders relating to school safety or other issues, labor-management disputes, or, when approved by the state agency, a similar cause.
School programs policy memo SP 14-2019 provides SY 2017-18 reporting guidance for the FNS-640 report. The FNS-640 form became available in FPRS on March 1, 2019. State agencies may use the attached instructions and business rules/edit check to begin and/or finalize implementation of processes for reporting and any system updates for School Year 2017-2018 reporting.
In school year 2013-14, FNS introduced the unified administrative review and a 3-year review cycle. Since then, FNS has received feedback about the difficulties of the shorter review cycle, both for the state agencies conducting the reviews, and for school food authorities preparing for and responding to reviews.