The Food distribution school lunch boxes will now be be extended through next school year untill June 2022 It was supposed to end in September of 2021.
The United States Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday it would extend universal free lunch through the 2021-2022 school year, in an effort to reach more of the estimated 12 million youths experiencing food insecurity.
In March, the USDA said these waivers, which made school meals more flexible to administer, would be extended only to Sept. 30, leaving schools and families uncertain about what next school year might look like. Child nutrition program waivers, which aimed to cut through red tape to allow kids to eat free even outside normal meal times, were implemented at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, at a time when millions of families faced financial strain, hunger and hardship. The waivers allowed schools and community organizations to adapt programs to better meet the needs of children and families.
The waivers allowed all children to eat free and outside of the traditional group settings and mealtimes. They also allowed parents to do curbside pickup of multiple days of food at once for students learning from home, even without the children’s presence, and in many cases for meals to be dropped off at a student’s home if they continue to learn virtually part- or full-time.
“States and districts wanted waivers extended to plan for safe reopening in the fall. USDA answered the call to help America’s schools and childcare institutions serve high quality meals while being responsive to their local needs as children safely return to their regular routines,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement. “This action also increases the reimbursement rate to school meal operators so they can serve healthy foods to our kids. It’s a win-win for kids, parents and schools.”
According to Lisa Davis, a senior vice president at Share Our Strength, a charity combating hunger, the announcement is also important for schools and community organizations, giving them time to plan and budget for next year.
“We are so appreciative they made this announcement with so much lead time so schools can plan their programs. Last year there was uncertainty, and it was more chaotic than it needed to be,” Davis said. She said that the waivers reimburse schools for meals at the summer rate, which is higher than the rate during the regular school year. This is a significant help to school districts that have run a deficit during the pandemic due to increased operating costs associated with safety protocols and packing up meals to go.
Should all American kids get a free school lunch? The pandemic might make that a reality.
During the 2020-2021 school year, the waivers allowed the reimbursement rate to schools to be increased from $3.60 per lunch served at the free rate to the summer rate of $4.25 per meal. This increase has helped schools pay for higher costs for boxes and bags for to-go options, for increased transportation and labor costs, and for bringing in temporary support and providing PPE. The reimbursement rates for the next school year’s national school lunch program haven’t been announced yet..” (wapo)
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