In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on a proposed emergency information collection.
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is requesting emergency approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act to conduct a survey of school food authorities to collect information on the continued impacts of COVID-19-related supply chain disruptions on the child nutrition (CN) programs, as well as emerging challenges related to the transition back to standard school nutrition program operations.
FNS is responsible for the administration of the child nutrition programs—including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), the School Breakfast Program (SBP), NSLP Seamless Summer Option (SSO), the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and others—at the federal level. To inform current and future policy decisions and effectively oversee these programs, FNS requires information on how these programs are operating. Although FNS oversees these programs, SAs administer them through agreements with school food authorities (SFAs) and other local entities that implement the programs at the local level.
Throughout the pandemic, school nutrition professionals have met extraordinary challenges to ensure every child can get the food they need to learn, grow, and thrive. But circumstances in local communities remain unpredictable, and supply chains for food and labor have been stressed and at times disrupted. USDA is committed to working together with state agencies, SFAs, the food industry, and other stakeholders to communicate these challenges and to identify solutions.
This is the second survey issued to SFAs that will assist FNS and its partners to enhance the toolbox for school nutrition professionals working hard to make sure students have reliable access to healthy meals. Whereas the first SFA survey focused on challenges and mitigation strategies related to procuring specific food or non-food items during the 2021-2022 school year, this survey focuses on food costs, labor costs, and vendor issues that continue to disrupt school food service in the 2022-2023 school year, as well as changes in student participation related to the return to standard operations.
The attached survey has a maximum of 31 questions and is estimated to take approximately 20 minutes to complete per respondent. FNS is asking all SFAs that participate in the child nutrition programs to complete this survey, which will be distributed via email with the support of state agencies. SFAs will be asked to complete the survey using an online survey tool and will receive reminders and support emails from state agencies and FNS as needed. As a result, the total proposed time burden is 8,840.79 burden hours.