On April 25, 2024, FNS published the final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This rule includes minor updates to the Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program to better align Child Nutrition Program requirements. These updates represent continued progress toward supporting the nutrition quality of school meals, strengthening the Child Nutrition Programs, and advancing USDA’s commitment to nutrition security.
This rulemaking finalizes long-term school nutrition requirements based on the goals of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, robust stakeholder input, and lessons learned from prior rulemakings.
This memorandum provides updated guidance on crediting tofu and soy yogurt products in the Child and Adult Care Food Program and extends previous guidance on crediting tofu and soy yogurt products to the Summer Food Service Program, as well as to the infant meal pattern in the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
USDA is committed to providing nutrition assistance to hard-hit families across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic. In support of President Biden’s call to action on hunger, 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.
USDA is extending the public comment period on the proposed rule, “Child Nutrition Programs: Revisions to Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans,” to May 10, 2023.
This rulemaking proposes long-term school nutrition standards based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, and feedback the USDA received from child nutrition program stakeholders during a robust stakeholder engagement campaign.
Nationwide waiver of the summer sponsor application deadline and to allow reimbursement for meals served prior to notification of approval for summer 2022 operations.
Pursuant to the authority in Section 2202 of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, and current national supply chain constraints due to COVID-19, FNS is granting a waiver of certain fiscal action requirements in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs. This waiver is available for any state where there is a supply chain disruption with respect to foods served under such a qualified program and such disruption is due to COVID–19. FNS is also extending this flexibility to the NSLP Seamless Summer Option for the duration of this waiver.
Pursuant to Section 2202(a) of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, and based on the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, FNS is establishing a nationwide waiver to allow school food authorities to claim National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option meals and snacks at the applicable Summer Food Service Program reimbursement rates in summer 2022. This waiver will ensure continuity of program operations and access to nutritious meals for program participants this summer.
USDA is committed to providing nutrition assistance to hard-hit families across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic. In support of President Biden’s call to action on hunger, 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.