This letter provides information to WIC state agencies and WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program state agencies on available American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 waivers and a new state agency request process.
This policy memorandum provides guidance on data sharing activities that support targeted outreach and streamlined certification processes aimed at increasing WIC participation and retention. It expresses USDA FNS support of data sharing, provides an overview of data sharing relevant to WIC, summarizes WIC program guidance on sharing confidential WIC participant data, and lays the groundwork for future guidance and resources to help WIC state agencies expand outreach and streamline the
certification process.
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 provided USDA with $390 million, available through FY 2024, to carry out outreach, innovation, and program modernization efforts to increase participation and redemption of benefits for both the WIC program and the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program.
The rules concerning student eligibility for SNAP are changing due to the lifting of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) on May 11, 2023. To help state agencies prepare for these changes, FNS has consolidated and is sharing existing resources related to student eligibility.
This memorandum notifies state agencies and program operators that temporary authority to claim reimbursement for meals and snacks to young people between the ages of 19 and 24 in emergency shelters participating in CACFP, will end when the COVID-19 public health emergency ends, which is expected on May 11, 2023.
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide guidance regarding the expiration of the offsite monitoring for CACFP and the School Meal Programs after the COVID-19 public health emergency ends.
To help SNAP state agencies prepare for the lifting of the COVID-19 federal public health emergency (PHE) declaration on May 11, 2023, FNS is sharing the enclosed table summarizing the timelines for ending PHE flexibilities. These flexibilities include waivers of SNAP regulations, adjustments of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, temporary changes to eligibility criteria for ABAWDs and students, and the issuance of EAs during the PHE.
FNS is releasing new guidance to assist states in the development of P-EBT plans for the summer of 2022.
When the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency began in March 2020, FNS quickly responded by allowing state agencies to suspend requirements to conduct face-to-face interviews for QC active reviews. This flexibility was initially granted until Sept. 30, 2020, and then extended through Dec. 31, 2020. On April 30, 2021, FNS issued a memo that SNAP QC will resume nationwide starting July 2021, but provided state agencies with a blanket waiver of the QC face-to-face interview through Dec. 31, 2021.
Provides information on how states can request to implement or extend certain COVID-19 administrative flexibilities beginning on Jan. 1, 2022.