We know that there have been many questions on how to ensure that children have the nutrition they need during school closures related to COVID-19. The first step is making sure that child nutrition program operators have the flexibility to serve meals outside of the group or “congregate” settings usually required.
We applaud Secretary Perdue and the US Department of Agriculture for taking that first step by announcing proactive flexibilities on Tuesday. The “presumptive yes” to requests for waivers from the congregate meal requirement, as indicated in Secretary Perdue’s remarks to Congress, will be helpful in supporting states, schools, and community organizations as they make plans for responding to school closures triggered by COVID-19. This will help program operators to meet the needs of students while minimizing community spread of the coronavirus. Click the link below to learn more!