All Waivers Allowing CACFP Flexibilities Expiring
To support school nutrition, child care, and adult care professionals' efforts to connect children and adults with nutritious meals throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) established nationwide waivers and approved State-specific waivers to allow program flexibility for School Year 2021–22 (SY 21–22) and Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22).
Waiver requests are approved on a case-by-case basis and only for a limited dureation of time. Please note the expiration dates of these waivers, below. It is expected that CACFP will return to normal operation upon waiver expiration.
Nationwide Waivers
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Area Eligibility: Expires June 30
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At-Risk afterschool Care
Waiver allows At-Risk After School Care component to be operated at sites regardless of area eligibility.
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CACFP Normal Operation: At-Risk sites operating in School Year (SY) 22–23 must be area eligible.
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Family Day Care Homes
Waiver allows all Family Day Care Homes to be reimbursed at the tier 1 rate regardless of area eligibility.
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CACFP Normal Operation: All tier 2 providers must be re-tiered by July 1.
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Specific Meal Pattern Flexibility: Expires June 30
Waiver allows flexibility with flavored milk, the whole grain rich requirement and implementation of grain ounce equivalents.
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CACFP Normal Operation: The CACFP meal pattern must be followed. If you are unable to procure food to meet the meal pattern due to supply chain issues, keep documentation of the shortage and notify your specialist.
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“Grab’n’Go” Meal Distribution: Expires June 30
A suite of waivers were released to allow for “grab’n’go” style meal distribution. These waivers included parent pickup of meals, meal delivery to children’s homes and multiple day meal distribution.
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CACFP Normal Operation: Meals must be served to children onsite in a congregate meal service.
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On-Site Monitoring: Expires 30 days after the end of the Public Health Emergency (PHE) TBD
Waiver allows off-site monitoring (desk audits) in Child Nutrition Programs for both State agencies and local level operators.
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CACFP Normal Operation: Monitoring must be conducted onsite. A 60-day notice will be given before the PHE expires.
State Approved Waiver
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WA State Additional Monitoring Flexibilities: Expires September 30
Waiver allows for 2 reviews to be conducted instead of 3, all visits may be announced and allows the meal observations to be conducted at announced visits.
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CACFP Normal Operation: Sponsoring Organizations monitoring requirements:
- Review each CACFP facility three times a year.
- Two of the three reviews must be unannounced.
- At least one unannounced review must include observation of meal service.
Resources to Return to Normal CACFP Operation
USDA has released resources and guidance to help sponsors transition to normal child nutrition operations on FNS’s webpage.
For more information on available waivers and how to request use of these waivers, please refer to the 5/23 Waiver Request Article.
For details other upcoming changes in (FY) 23, watch the “What’s New in CACFP” recorded webinar.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released updated Civil Rights Division (CRD) policy memos.
Important Updates
These memos clarify prohibitions against discrimination based on sex in all USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) programs and related implementing regulations that prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation.
What this means: Child Nutrition Program operators and sponsors may not discriminate or deny access to programs based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
Next Steps
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Effective Immediately: If not currently part of your organizational practices, update program discrimination complaint processing procedures to include complaints alleging sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination.
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Effective Immediately: Process any complaints alleging sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination as complaints of prohibited sex discrimination. There will not be a grace period for accepting and processing discrimination complaints based on sexual orientation and gender identity in FNS programs.
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Before August 3, 2022: Update webpages and documents with the updated USDA Child Nutrition Programs Nondiscrimination Statement.
- The nondiscrimination statement is required on all documents referring to program access, program approval, and widely distributed documents. Examples include: items distributed to the public, landing page of web pages, student handbooks, brochures, letters to families, or press releases.
- Child Nutrition Program operators and sponsors are required to take reasonable steps to ensure program access and benefits to individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP).
- The USDA is currently working to translate the updated nondiscrimination statement into additional languages. Please do not translate the nondiscrimination statement at this time.
- OSPI CNS will update documents previously translated with the updated nondiscrimination statement. Please keep an eye out for future CNS Updates.
Additional Details
- OSPI CNS is ordering updated And Justice for All Posters and will be distributing them over the coming months. Until you receive the updated posters, please continue using the 2019 And Justice for All poster.
- We understand many program operators and sponsors are preparing materials for the upcoming program year.
- If your organization has already printed materials that include the previous nondiscrimination statement, you are not required to re-print documents.
- If your organization has not printed materials, please use the updated versions as they become available on the OSPI CNS webpages.
- OSPI CNS will be updating reference sheets, materials, and webpages in the coming weeks.
Questions? Please email the Child Nutrition inbox so we may assist.
The Abbott infant formula recall exacerbated infant formula supply chain challenges that arose from the COVID-19 pandemic. These challenges continue. It is difficult to fully anticipate the level of impact in the months ahead.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for taking steps to ensure the safety of infant formula, while also ensuring that supply can be met when these steps are taken. The FDA published a press release highlighting actions it is taking to address formula supply shortages including working with major infant formula manufacturers to increase supply and helping to ensure that Abbott’s Sturgis facility can safely resume production.
The supply shortages are impacting Child Nutrition Program participants differently depending on where they live and what their specific formula needs are. The USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) continues to work closely with the FDA on the impact of the recall on the infant formula supply in the CACFP.
FDA Updates
The FDA recently announced that several formulas will soon be made available within the U.S. and has posted a webpage for additional products that come available.
- K.’s Kendamil will send three types of routine formula to the U.S. including Classic First Infant Milk Stage 1, Organic First Infant Milk Stage 1, and Goat First Infant Milk Stage 1. These products are expected to be available the beginning of June. Kendamil has set up a website for consumers to receive updates and locate products.
- Abbott will release about 300,000 Cans of EleCare specialty formula on a case-by-case basis. Parents and caregivers in urgent need of EleCare products should contact their healthcare professionals or Abbott at 1-800-881-0876 for additional information. Abbott will release product immediately free of charge to children in need. Abbott plans to restart production at the Sturgis facility on June 4 and will prioritize EleCare production, with initial EleCare product release to consumers beginning on or about June 20.
Resources
As formula challenges persist, please encourage program providers and parents/caregivers to work with their child’s health care provider for recommendations on other ways to feed their baby or toddler if their regular formula is not available. In addition, please continue to promote safe feeding practices for infants including the following resources:
The White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health is a unique opportunity to accelerate progress and drive transformative change in the U.S. to end hunger, improve nutrition and physical activity, reduce diet-related disease, and close the disparities around them.
The conference sets out the goal of ending hunger and increasing healthy eating and physical activity in the U.S. by 2030 so fewer Americans experience diet-related diseases like diabetes, obesity, and hypertension.
The conference will be held in September 2022. Leading up to the conference, the White House will host virtual listening sessions open to the public so we can hear from every region of the country, territories and Tribal Nations.
Register Now for the Western Region Listening Session
Date: Thursday, June 9
Time: 3–5 pm PT (6–8pm Eastern Time)
You can also register for the Spanish-only session being held on Monday, June 13, from 10 am–12 pm PT (1–3 pm Eastern Time).
For more information or to register for a listening session visit the White House Conference On Hunger, Nutrition and Health
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a recall of Jif® peanut butter products sold in the U.S. due to potential Salmonella contamination.
USDA Foods are not impacted by this recall. The recalled peanut butter was distributed nationwide in retail stores and other outlets. Recalled products include the products below with lot codes 1274425 – 2140425. Lot codes are included alongside best-if-used-by date.
We encourage Child Nutrition Program sponsors to monitor the most current information on this recall and those related to it on the FDA’s Recalls, Market Withdrawals, and Safety Alerts webpage.
Questions? Please contact the J.M. Smucker Co. at 800-828-9980.
What is it: The Farm to School Purchasing Grant is a competitive reimbursement grant that supports the purchase and use of local, Washington-grown foods in child nutrition programs.
Who can apply: Active NSLP and CACFP sponsors.
Funding is available for the 2022–2023 school year.
Join Us for an Info Session!
Register for a Farm to School Purchasing Grant Info Session to learn about the program and how to apply. Both sessions will include the same information and a recording will be made available.
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The Office of Head Start will be presenting a webinar for Head Start Program Operators on CACFP Meal Service. The Child and Adult Care Food Program contributes to the wellness, healthy growth, and development of young children. Head Start programs provide nutritious meals and snacks to children and use the CACFP program to improve quality and make the food program more affordable. This webinar provides resources and information on how to implement CACFP in your program and summarizes the requirements for recordkeeping and reimbursement of meals and snacks.
Register for the CACFP Meal Services in Head Start Programs Webinar
Date: Wednesday, June 1
Time: 11–12 pm PT
Effective July 1, 2022
FNS announced transitional nutrition standards for school meal programs and CACFP that were published in the Federal Register on February 7, 2022: Federal Register: Public Inspection: Child Nutrition Programs: Transitional Standards for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium.
Child Nutrition Program meal patterns are based on the goals of the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Therefore, USDA sets nutrition standards to ensure children are offered the right balance of fruits, vegetables, low-fat or fat-free milk, whole grains, and protein foods. This final rule is providing Child Nutrition Program Sponsors with the certainty they need for the upcoming school years, while FNS works collaboratively on permanent standards that will build on the progress that has been made over the past decade. The transitional standards established for milk, whole grains, and sodium are practical standards that continue to promote nutrition while reflecting the current realities and challenges Sponsors are facing.
What does this mean for CACFP?
Schools and child care providers may offer flavored, low-fat milk (1%) in addition to unflavored, low-fat milk and flavored or unflavored nonfat milk for those ages 6 and up.
For more information about this change visit USDA's Building Back Better with School Meals webpage.
After high-profile, tragic events, children may feel that they are in danger, or worry that friends and loved ones are at risk. They will often come to families, teachers, and other trusted adults with questions and to find reassurance, but it isn’t always easy to know what to say. OSPI has gathered resources from experts across the web, including our own laws around school safety, to help inform and guide these conversations. Talking to children about their fears can help alleviate those fears and help young people feel secure.
Read OSPI’s blog post, Supporting Students Through Tragedies, for tips from experts for talking with young people about violence, as well as for an overview of Washington’s school safety laws. You may also read Superintendent Reykdal’s statement on the shooting.
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