USDA Publishes New and Extended Waivers for CACFP

USDA has announced a new "suite of waivers" to ensure children have access to nutritious meals as the nations recovers from the pandemic. Many will look familiar BUT there are some additional flexibilities in this round. Here are a couple highlighted:

Nationwide Waiver of Area Eligibility in the Afterschool Programs and for Family Day Care Home Providers in School Year 2021-2022: This waiver allows all day care homes, regardless of their location, to receive the Tier 1 reimbursement rate for all meals and snacks. This will be effective July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022.

Nationwide Waiver of Area Eligibility in the Afterschool Programs and for Family Day Care Home Providers in School Year 2021-2022: This waiver allows flexibilities so the full implementation of grains ounce equivalents will be extended beyond October 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022 on a (state by state, case by case basis).

Here are the links to the CACFP waivers:

• Nationwide Waiver of Area Eligibility in the Afterschool Programs and for Family Day Care Home Providers in School Year 2021-2022

• Nationwide Waiver to Allow Non-Congregate Meal Service for School Year 2021-2022

• Nationwide Waiver of Meal Time Requirements for School Year 2021-2022

• Nationwide Waiver to Allow Parents and Guardians to Pick Up Meals for Children for School Year 2021-2022

• Nationwide Waiver to Allow Specific Meal Pattern Flexibility in the Child and Adult Care Food Program for School Year 2021-2022

• Nationwide Waiver of Onsite Monitoring Requirements for State Agencies in the Child and Adult Care Food Program – EXTENSION 3

• Nationwide Waiver of Monitoring Requirements for Sponsors in the Child and Adult Care Food Program – EXTENSION

Click here for all of the waivers announced today.

Note: As with most of these nationwide waivers during the pandemic, the states have to opt in.

Questions or comments email samantha@ccfproundtable.org