Copied below is the information and link in order to opt into the nationwide waivers issued by USDA in April. We are pulling up and out the CACFP specific ones. There are waivers that need will need to be resubmitted throughout the school year and there are waivers that are annual. If you are a family child care home, you do not need to fill anything out, this is your CACFP Sponsor's role. Be sure to read all of CDE's guidance prior to applying for the waiver(s).
This is the link to will apply for the waivers is: https://surveys2.cde.ca.gov/go/sy2122initialwaivers.asp.
Annual Election
CACFP waivers that will not expire until the end of school year 2021-2022 are (annual election):
(#tier1forayear) COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response #93: Nationwide Waiver of Area Eligibility in the Afterschool Programs and for Family Day Care Home Providers in SY 2021–22 (PDF). This waiver allows schools and at-risk afterschool care centers, regardless of their location, to claim all NSLP Afterschool Snack Service and CACFP At-risk Afterschool Program meals and snacks at the free rate during the 2021–22 SY. This waiver also allows day care homes participating in the CACFP to claim all meals served to enrolled children at the Tier 1 rate, regardless of location until June 30, 2022. Day care homes do not need to amend their Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS) site applications to receive these additional funds.
Elections that Need to Be Resubmitted
The CACFP waivers that CNP Operators will need to reevaluate and resubmit their meal service waiver three times over the course of the 2021–22 SY by completing the SY 2021–22 Initial Waiver Elections Application.
Waiver elections will be valid for the following three timeframes:
Initial waiver elections: July 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021
Mid-year waiver reelections: January 1, 2022, through March 31, 2022
Final waiver reelections: April 1, 2022, through June 30, 2022
CACFP Waivers in this category:
COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response #87: Nationwide Waiver to Allow Noncongregate Meal Service for SY 2021–22 (PDF). This waiver allows NSLP, SBP, SSO, and CACFP Operators to provide noncongregate meals during COVID-19 SY operations.
COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response #88: Nationwide Waiver of Meal Times Requirements for SY 2021–22 (PDF). Allows NSLP, SBP, SSO, and CACFP Operators to serve meals outside of the standard meal times.
COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response #89: Nationwide Waiver to Allow Parents and Guardians to Pick Up Meals for Children for SY 2021–22 (PDF). Allows NSLP, SBP, SSO, and CACFP Operators with an approved noncongregate waiver to distribute meals to a parent or guardian to take home to their children.
COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response #91: Nationwide Waiver to Allow Specific Meal Pattern Flexibility in the CACFP for SY 2021–22 (PDF). Allows CACFP Operators to serve meals that may not meet specified requirements for: whole grain-rich foods, crediting of grains by ounce equivalents, and unflavored milk. This waiver requires additional justification using a supplemental application.
COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response #96: Nationwide Waiver of On-site Monitoring Requirements for Sponsors in the CACFP – Extension (PDF). Allows sponsoring organizations administering the CACFP to continue monitoring activities of program operations offsite (e.g., through a desk audit).
California Department of Education (CDE) Official Announcement
On April 20, 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released several waivers for School Year (SY) 2021–22. For Child Nutrition Programs (CNP) Sponsors operating the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), NSLP Seamless Summer Option (SSO), or Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), the USDA has provided policy guidance on the requirements and conditions for the flexibilities. The USDA requires for a subset of these flexibilities, including noncongregate meals, parent pick up, and meal time requirements, that they only be used to the extent needed until in-person congregate meals and snacks can be resumed safely. As a result, some waiver elections must be confirmed routinely during the course of the 2021–22 SY, and in the case of the meal pattern waivers, additional justifications are needed. Additionally, the USDA also requires the California Department of Education (CDE) to track the use of these waivers. As a result of this requirement and the limited use mandate, all CNP Operators will need to reevaluate and resubmit their meal service waiver three times over the course of the 2021–22 SY by completing the SY 2021–22 Initial Waiver Elections Application at https://surveys2.cde.ca.gov/go/sy2122initialwaivers.asp. Waiver elections will be valid for the following three timeframes:
Initial waiver elections: July 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021
Mid-year waiver reelections: January 1, 2022, through March 31, 2022
Final waiver reelections: April 1, 2022, through June 30, 2022
Please note that meal pattern waivers may be submitted at any time and will be valid only for the period during which they were submitted. The CDE has divided the SY 2021–22 waiver elections into two groups, Annual Elections and Initial Elections, to assist you in tracking the waivers with a limited use mandate.
Annual Elections: Valid for the Entire 2021–22 SY
You may opt into these waivers at any time during the SY. Once selected, the following waivers do not require periodic confirmation and will be valid for the entire 2021–22 SY.
COVID–19: Child Nutrition Response #85: Nationwide Waiver to Allow the SSO through SY 2021–22 (PDF). This waiver allows the NSLP SSO to operate when school is open during the regular school year through June 30, 2022. Note: COVID-19: Child Nutrition Response #86, Summer Food Service Program Reimbursement Rates in SY 2021–22 (PDF), will be automatically applied to school food authorities (SFA) electing waiver #85 in accordance with USDA guidance.
COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response #92: Nationwide Waiver to Allow Offer Versus Serve Flexibility for Senior High Schools in SY 2021–22 (PDF). This waives the requirement for senior high schools to participate in offer versus serve under the NSLP and SSO during the 2021–22 SY.
COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response #93: Nationwide Waiver of Area Eligibility in the Afterschool Programs and for Family Day Care Home Providers in SY 2021–22 (PDF). This waiver allows schools and at-risk afterschool care centers, regardless of their location, to claim all NSLP Afterschool Snack Service and CACFP At-risk Afterschool Program meals and snacks at the free rate during the 2021–22 SY. This waiver also allows day care homes participating in the CACFP to claim all meals served to enrolled children at the Tier 1 rate, regardless of location until June 30, 2022. Day care homes do not need to amend their Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS) site applications to receive these additional funds.
SY 2021–22 Initial Waiver Elections: July 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021
The USDA required that the following waivers be used only to the extent needed until in-person congregate meals and snacks are able to be resumed safely. As a result, the following waiver elections must be confirmed routinely during the course of the 2021–22 SY.
COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response #87: Nationwide Waiver to Allow Noncongregate Meal Service for SY 2021–22 (PDF). This waiver allows NSLP, SBP, SSO, and CACFP Operators to provide noncongregate meals during COVID-19 SY operations.
COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response #88: Nationwide Waiver of Meal Times Requirements for SY 2021–22 (PDF). Allows NSLP, SBP, SSO, and CACFP Operators to serve meals outside of the standard meal times.
COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response #89: Nationwide Waiver to Allow Parents and Guardians to Pick Up Meals for Children for SY 2021–22 (PDF). Allows NSLP, SBP, SSO, and CACFP Operators with an approved noncongregate waiver to distribute meals to a parent or guardian to take home to their children.
COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response #90: Nationwide Waiver to Allow Specific School Meal Pattern Flexibility for SY 2021–22 (PDF). Starting October 1, 2021, this waiver allows NSLP, SBP, and SSO Operators to serve meals that may not meet specified requirements for: sodium, whole grain-rich foods, vegetable varieties, and fluid milk options. This waiver requires additional justification using a supplemental application.
COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response #91: Nationwide Waiver to Allow Specific Meal Pattern Flexibility in the CACFP for SY 2021–22 (PDF). Allows CACFP Operators to serve meals that may not meet specified requirements for: whole grain-rich foods, crediting of grains by ounce equivalents, and unflavored milk. This waiver requires additional justification using a supplemental application.
COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response #94: Nationwide Waiver of On-site Monitoring Requirements in the School Meal Programs – Revised – Extension 3 (PDF). Allows State agencies administering, and SFAs operating the NSLP and SBP to continue monitoring activities of program operations offsite (e.g., through a desk audit).
COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response #96: Nationwide Waiver of On-site Monitoring Requirements for Sponsors in the CACFP – Extension (PDF). Allows sponsoring organizations administering the CACFP to continue monitoring activities of program operations offsite (e.g., through a desk audit).
Contact Information
For any questions regarding these waivers, please contact your respective program’s county specialist. The county specialist for each program can be found under the following Form IDs in the CNIPS Download Forms section:
SFSP—Form ID SFSP 01
NSLP, SBP, and SSO—Form ID Caseload
CACFP—Form ID CACFP 01
Thank you. Nutrition Services Division California Department of Education
More from the CACFP Roundtable
The CACFP Roundtable is committed to fostering a community of leaders who work together to build equitable access to the Child and Adult Care Food Program and nutritious meals in care settings. Your support goes toward programs and advocacy that help us get closer to ensuring everyone has the right to nutritious meals and making the CACFP an even better Food Program for all.
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