5 things: Stimulus bill includes child nutrition program funding

Each Friday Food Management compiles a list that highlights five things you probably missed in the onsite foodservice news that week and why you should care about them.

Here’s your list for the week of December 14:

The $900 billion stimulus bill passed by Congress includes a provision giving emergency relief to help school meal and child and adult care food programs, providing “as much funding as necessary to carry out these payments,” according to a summary of the bill’s provisions. The School Nutrition Association (SNA) applauded the move, noting that school meal program revenue has been slashed due to COVID-19 school closures and other challenges.

It cited a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that found that in March and April, schools served almost 400 million fewer meals than the previous year, causing a drastic drop in federal reimbursements, while school closures curbed other revenue streams such as a la carte and catering sales while food and labor costs spiked due to supply chain disruptions, high demand for meal packaging and new Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and cleaning requirements.

A recent SNA survey found 62% of school nutrition director respondents anticipating a loss for the 2020-2021 school year, while another 28% were unsure of what to expect.

Related:New plans move forward, life goes on for Cura team at Homestead Village Enhanced Senior Living

Read more: The $900 billion Covid relief package will extend nutrition benefits for families

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) will not let students return to campuses when the spring semester begins Jan. 11. The statement from Superintendent Austin Beutner did not provide a timetable for schools to reopen.

Read more: LA Unified District Won't Reopen Schools After Winter Break

Penn State will begin the spring 2021 semester remotely due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to an email sent by Penn State President Eric Barron, which says instruction will begin remotely on Jan. 19 with in-person classes commencing on Feb. 15. Residence halls and campus dining facilities will be closed during the remote period.

Read more: Penn State delays start of in-person spring semester

California State University and Humboldt State University (HSU) have decided to formally end their operating agreement with University Center (UC), an independent auxiliary operation had been providing HSU with dining and recreational services. HSU will take over operations at UC and has entered into a short-term agreement with Chartwells Higher Education to provide campus dining services through June 2022.

Related:15 top food service technology stories from 2020

Read more: CSU and HSU to End Agreement with University Center as HSU Reimagines Services to Students

COVID-19 spread at nursing homes is at least partially driven by people who work at more than one facility, according to an analysis of cellphone data for more than 50 million users that found that nursing homes share connections—primarily staff and outside contractors—with an estimated 7.1 other facilities on average and that 5% of individuals who visited nursing homes for more than an hour last spring also spent time in other facilities over the same period.

Read more: Shared nursing home staffs account for COVID-19 spread, study shows

Bonus: Mediterranean on the move: 10 easy, breezy, grab-and-go snacks from food service chefs

Contact Mike Buzalka at [email protected]