The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced the nationwide extension of several USDA Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) waivers that allow all children to continue to receive meals this summer when schools are out of session. These flexibilities are now available through Sept. 30 or the start of the school year. The waivers were previously extended only through June 30.
The extended waivers allow:
- Meal sites to serve all children for free, regardless of income;
- Meals to be served outside of the normally required group settings and meal times, including bulk pick-up to include multiple days of meals; and
- Parents and guardians to pick-up meals for their children.
Additional guidance will be issued regarding updates needed to the SFSP application to reflect summer 2021 operations. School nutrition directors can connect with their regional school nutrition consultant for more information. While these memos pertain specifically to summer meals, more guidance on the 2021-22 school year is forthcoming from USDA.