A webinar for state agency and school food authority staff focused on the Final Rule: Child Nutrition Programs Community Eligibility Provision — Increasing Options for Schools.
USDA published a final rule in the Federal Register on Sept. 26, 2023, to expand access to the Community Eligibility Provision by lowering the minimum identified student percentage participation threshold from 40 percent to 25 percent.
To help schools deal with supply chain challenges and rising food prices, USDA is providing nearly $1.3 billion in Supply Chain Assistance funds for states and territories to purchase domestic foods for their meal programs.
Comparison table for CEP proposed rule: current requirements vs. proposed changes.
This rulemaking proposes to expand access to the Community Eligibility Provision by lowering the minimum identified student percentage participation threshold from 40 percent to 25 percent, which would give states and schools greater flexibility to choose to invest non-federal funds to offer no-cost meals to all enrolled students.
For children to grow and reach their full potential, it is critical that they have access to nutritious foods and develop lifelong healthy dietary habits.
USDA Team Nutrition staff and guest speakers from South Carolina’s Local Wellness Policy State Technical Assistance Team and Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education shared how to energize, strengthen and assess local school wellness policies.
A webinar for state agencies and local program operators sharing proactive strategies to prevent and manage unpaid meal charges as schools return to standard counting and claiming in SY 2022-23.
FNS is offering this comparison table to assist state agencies and program operators as they transition from school year (SY) 2021-22 operations under COVID-19 nationwide waivers and flexibilities to operations designed around their own unique circumstances for SY 2022-23.
For the benefit of current Farm to School grantees, the USDA Farm to School team recorded two brief webinars to help those new to the 908 reporting process.