The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the extension of a few waivers that allow all children to continue to receive free meals this summer. The program was initially going to go through June 30th, but will now go through September 30th due to the pandemic. These free meals are for all students, no matter the household income.
“We will do everything we can to make sure children get access to healthy, nutritious meals regardless of their families’ financial circumstances,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Our child nutrition professionals are doing a heroic job ensuring kids across the country have proper nutrition throughout this public health emergency, oftentimes with limited resources. USDA is committed to providing local operators with the flexibilities and resources they need to continue offering the best meal service possible to their children, given their day-to-day realities.”
In addition, the waivers:
- Allow meals served through the “summer meal programs” to be made available in all areas at no cost.
- Allow meals to be served outside of the normally required group settings and meal times.
- Allow parents and guardians to pick-up meals for their children, including bulk pick-up.
Research shows that up to 12 million children are living in households where they may not always have enough to eat.
Summer meal sites are places where children and youth age 18 and under can receive meals for free while staying safe. The meals are also available to those over the age of 18 with mental or physical disabilities.
The agency wanted to put this out as soon as possible so that communities are able to establish as many meal sites as they’re able to run during the summer months. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
