| To see News by Program, select from an option below:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Published: 2 hours ago
" USDA has recently released policy memo SP 05-2026, CACFP 03-2026, SFSP 03-2026, 2026 Appropriations Act: Effect on Child Nutrition Programs, detailing the effect of the Act on the Child Nutrition Programs.
(david d)
"
USDA has recently released policy memo SP 05-2026, CACFP 03-2026, SFSP 03-2026, 2026 Appropriations Act: Effect on Child Nutrition Programs, detailing the effect of the Act on the Child Nutrition Programs, which includes the following:
- Crediting of Vegetables at Breakfast: School food authorities (SFAs) participating in the School Breakfast Program (SBP) may credit any vegetable offered in place of fruit without including vegetables from other subgroups in the weekly menus through the end of the current school year and through SY 2026-2027. NOTE: The guidance in the ARM aligns with the most recent regulations, which state that schools that offer vegetables in place of fruit at breakfast more than once per week must offer at least two vegetable subgroups per week. TDA will continue to align the ARM with regulation but will post interim guidance about this temporary flexibility on SquareMeals in the coming weeks.
- Paid Lunch Equity Requirements: The Act continues the long-standing exception of PLE requirements through SY 2026-2027 for SFAs with zero or positive balances in their nonprofit food service accounts as of June 30, 2025. Only SFAs with negative balances in their nonprofit food service accounts must complete PLE requirements for SY 2026-2027. TDA will post interim guidance about this temporary flexibility on SquareMeals in the coming weeks. For SFAs that must comply with PLE requirements, TDA is awaiting additional guidance from USDA.
- Prohibition on the Use of Chicken and Seafood from China: The Act extends the current provision preventing and Child Nutrition Program operators from using program funds to procure raw or processed poultry or seafood products from the People’s Republic of China through September 30, 2026.
###
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Assistance available in English and Spanish. Please call 877-TEX-MEAL (877-839-6325) for help. Additional translations services available as well.
|
|
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
|
|
1. Mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
2. Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
|
|
| This institution is an equal opportunity provider. |
 |
|
|
|