Since 1988, FNS has produced biennial reports on WIC participant and program characteristics (PC) for use in program monitoring and managing WIC information needs. The PC 2020 report summarizes demographic, income and health-related characteristics and behaviors of participants certified to receive WIC benefits in April 2020. As a response to COVID-19, the PC 2020 report also compares participant and program characteristics between participants certified to receive benefits in April 2020 and those certified to receive benefits in November 2020 in nine select state agencies.
Federal regulations require that all sponsor applications be submitted to the state agency by June 15th. States may establish earlier annual deadlines, but are encouraged to work with sponsors wishing to apply after the state’s earlier deadline.
This final rule will establish transitional standards to support the continued provision of nutritious school meals as schools respond to and recover from the pandemic and while USDA engages in notice-and-comment rulemaking to update the meal pattern standards to more comprehensively reflect the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
School meals are one of the most important tools for ensuring children have access to healthy and nutritious food. USDA strengthened school meal standards in 2012. Research on the impact of these changes emphasizes why we must support nutritious school meals.
The tip sheet provides a list of suggested practices that program operators may adopt to assist with proper meal counting and claiming when meals are served in alternative locations.
This memo transmits the October 2021 FNS Handbook 310 through QC Policy Memo 22-02. The procedures in this handbook are effective beginning with the October 2021 sample month.
This agenda provides summary descriptions of significant and not significant regulations being developed in USDA agencies in conformance with Executive Orders “Regulatory Planning and Review” and “Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review.”
FNS is allowing WIC agencies that currently operate direct distribution models to issue two months of benefits to participants at one time due to closures and need for social distancing.
FNS is allowing WIC agencies to conduct local agency monitoring reviewing virtually instead of onsite. WIC agencies must still conduct monitoring reviews of each local agency at least biennially.