The Food Safety team develops education, instruction and technical assistance resources for individuals working in federally funded nutrition assistance programs such as the NSLP, SBP, CACFP, and SFSP.
USDA announced that it is increasing the Pandemic EBT benefit by approximately 15 percent, providing more money for low-income families and millions of children missing meals due to school and child care closures.
On Jan. 4, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education released a fact sheet that outlines options and clarification for state and local educational agencies to successfully implement programs authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 while operating under child nutrition programs waiver flexibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This waiver extends until June 30, 2021, the Nationwide Waiver to Extend Area Eligibility Waivers – Extension 2. It applies to state agencies administrating, and local organizations operating, the SFSP and NSLP Seamless Summer Option (SSO).
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.
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.
This memorandum provides a reminder overview of options available under current program policy and regulation for connecting children and adult survivors, who have evacuated from areas subject to major disaster and emergency declarations, and may be staying in shelters, with child nutrition program benefits.
This memorandum supersedes SP 25-2012, CACFP 12-2012, SFSP 10-2012, Disaster Response and provides an overview of ways state agencies, school food authorities participating can respond to situations resulting from damage or disruptions due to natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and flood as well as other exceptional emergency situations or man-made disasters. Allows state agencies to designate any appropriate facility, which is providing meals to displaced families who are being temporarily housed elsewhere, as a CACFP emergency shelter during a natural disaster or other emergency situation.
This report summarizes the results of the school year 2008-09 application verification process for the NSLP and SBP. Each year, LEAs review a sample of applications that they approved for free or reduced-price school meal benefits at the start of the school year.
This USDA Foods in disasters guidance policy memorandum is the result of activities undertaken to plan a government-wide response to a potential human pandemic and addresses the operation of its USDA food programs during a major pandemic event.