To help navigate the coming year, FNS is clarifying existing flexibilities available to assist state agencies and local program operators in meeting the unique needs of their communities.
The FDCH participation study aims to understand provider experiences with the CACFP by asking a nationally representative sample of both current and former participating FDCH providers about their experiences with the program.
This guidance describes $1 billion being provided by FNS to enhance local school districts’ ability to purchase foods for school meals by offering resources needed to address supply chain challenges directly to schools and school districts.
To help schools deal with supply chain challenges brought on by the pandemic, USDA is providing up to: $1 billion in Supply Chain Assistance funds for schools to purchase food for their meal programs, $300 million for states to purchase USDA Foods to distribute to schools, and $200 million for cooperative agreements to purchase local foods for schools, focusing on historically underused producers.
FNS is seeking public comment on its intent to ask the Office of Management and Budget to extend approval of the information collection under OMB approval #0584-0654 from Jan. 31, 2022 until Aug. 27, 2023.
The previous version of this memorandum contained incorrect references to state agencies throughout. FNS is correcting this memorandum to remove the incorrect references and so that it more clearly and accurately reflects the federal regulations. This memorandum notifies state agencies and child nutrition program operators of the changes made by OMB to the federal informal procurement method, micro-purchases and the micro-purchase threshold.
As long as there is a national Public Health Emergency in place and the state has a state-level emergency declaration in place, states may opt to continue to provide monthly emergency allotments to their caseload. States have the option to provide a one-month EA issuance phase-out following the end of their state emergency declaration.
When the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency began in March 2020, FNS quickly responded by allowing state agencies to suspend requirements to conduct face-to-face interviews for QC active reviews. This flexibility was initially granted until Sept. 30, 2020, and then extended through Dec. 31, 2020. On April 30, 2021, FNS issued a memo that SNAP QC will resume nationwide starting July 2021, but provided state agencies with a blanket waiver of the QC face-to-face interview through Dec. 31, 2021.
Provides information on how states can request to implement or extend certain COVID-19 administrative flexibilities beginning on Jan. 1, 2022.
The Further Extending Government Funding Act of 2022 directs USDA to extend through the second quarter of fiscal year 2022 the temporary increase in the WIC Cash-Value Voucher/Benefit for fruit and vegetable purchases. The increased amount applies to all women and children participants and aligns with recommendations by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine.