SNA urges USDA to extend summer meal waivers into the upcoming school year

The School Nutrition Association (SNA) has written to the USDA asking that schools be allowed to continue serving students through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) throughout the upcoming school year and that all waivers regarding SFSP and SSO service be extended for that duration as well. 

This extension would allow schools to serve breakfast and lunch at no charge to students. The SNA says that universal free meals will speed up service, reduce the risk of COVID-19 exposure and make sure that eligible students continue to have access to free meals without being singled out by their peers. 

The SNA is also asking that the vegetable subgroup requirements for SSO be waived, noting that it has been hard for operators to source individually wrapped vegetables for grab-and-go meals. 

The USDA recently announced the extension of its waivers on meal pattern flexibility, congregate meals, meal times, and parent and guardian meal pickup through June 30, 2021.