FNS is granting a waiver of certain fiscal action requirements in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. This waiver is available for any state where there is a supply chain disruption with respect to foods served under such a qualified program and such disruption is due to COVID–19.
FNS waives, for all states, the requirements to serve meals that meet specified meal pattern requirements during the public health emergency due to COVID–19. This waiver applies to state agencies administering and local organizations operating the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs. These flexibilities also apply to the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option.
This memorandum clarifies that individual state agency waiver requests submitted to FNS in calendar year 2020 requesting flexibilities in the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, Summer Food Service Program, Special Milk Program for Children and Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program during the COVID-19 public health emergency that have not been approved or denied prior to Dec. 31, 2020, will no longer be considered active requests.
This waiver facilitates state agencies abilities to conduct a school meal programs administrative review when a school food authority is only operating the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option in SY 2021-22.
FNS understands that these are challenging times for all and that many state agencies and program operators face significant resource and time constraints. We are committed to approving waivers that support state agencies and program operators as they strive to run successful programs and meet child nutrition program requirements in order to provide nutritious food to eligible participants.
This collection is a revision of a currently approved collection for the School Meals Operations Study with updated survey instruments for SY 2021-2022. This study will collect data from state agencies and public school food authorities, including disaggregated administrative data and data on the continued use and effectiveness of the CN COVID-19 waivers.
Under this waiver, CACFP operators in states that elect to be subject to this waiver may serve meals that do not meet specified meal pattern requirements during the public health emergency due to COVID-19.
This memo announces a new suite of child nutrition program nationwide waivers and flexibilities to support a successful school reopening in school year 2021-22.
FNS waives, for all CACFP sponsoring organizations, that CACFP monitoring requirements be conducted onsite. To ensure program integrity during this time, sponsoring organizations should continue monitoring activities of program operations offsite. This waiver extends the Nationwide Waiver of Monitoring Requirements for Sponsors in the CACFP granted on Aug. 4, 2020 that expires on Sept. 30, 2021.
FNS waives, for all state agencies, that CACFP monitoring requirements of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act be conducted onsite. To ensure program integrity during this time, state agencies should continue monitoring activities of program operations offsite. This waiver extends the Nationwide Waiver of Monitoring Requirements for State Agencies in the Child and Adult Care Food Program – EXTENSION 2 granted on Aug. 4, 2020 that expires on Sept. 30, 2021.