Thursday, March 26, 2020
Announcement from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) School Nutrition Team
SchoolMealsNews Bulletin - USDA Nationwide Meal Pattern Waiver
On March 25, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued COVID–19: Child Nutrition Response #4, Nationwide Waiver to Allow Meal Pattern Flexibility in the Child Nutrition Programs in light of the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 public health emergency. This waiver allows the State Agency (SA) to grant meal pattern flexibility waivers to School Food Authorities (SFAs) experiencing disruptions to the availability of food products resulting from the impacts of COVID-19.
A Meal Pattern Flexibility Waiver should only be completed if your SFA is currently experiencing a difficulty procuring and serving one or more components per meal pattern requirements.
If your SFA is granted approval for a meal pattern flexibility, please keep in mind that it is always best practice to provide students with a variety of healthy options that aligns as closely as possible with the classic School Breakfast and National School Lunch Program meal patterns. Please keep your students' health and well-being in mind.
We will respond to you in one to two business days. Approvals are valid until April 30, 2020, or until expiration of the federally declared public health emergency, whichever is soonest. Following April 30, all meal pattern requirements are reinstated.
Thank you for your continued dedication to serving Wisconsin students healthy meals.
-WI DPI School Nutrition Team
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This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
This is a communication from the WI Department of Public Instruction, School Nutrition Team.
You can contact the School Nutrition Team at dpifns@dpi.wi.gov. To subscribe to schoolmealsnews, please send an email to dpifns@dpi.wi.gov.
dpi.wi.gov/school-nutrition #WISchoolMealsRock