Every week at All Saints Church we put our faith into action. This week our focus is providing flexibility for child nutrition programs to cope with disruptions caused by the COVID pandemic. We invite you to sign a letter to your members of Congress.

When the pandemic started, Congress gave the USDA the authority to issue national child nutrition waivers. This made it possible for schools and local organizations to change their delivery models and ensure that children had access to nutritious food. The following is from a USDA memo stating the objectives of the Child Nutrition Waivers system:

“School nutrition professionals across the nation have engaged in a heroic effort to connect children with nutritious meals throughout the coronavirus (COVID–19) pandemic. On the frontlines since March 2020, school nutrition professionals have worked hard to adapt their meal service to meet the needs of children in their communities. To support their efforts, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) established nationwide waivers to streamline access, enhance program flexibility, and reduce administrative burden. These waivers, first established in spring 2020, were most recently extended through summer 2021.’

As we look ahead to next school year, we know that even as the nation recovers, school nutrition professionals will continue to face challenges in their work. State and local officials are working hard to plan for the new school year, and FNS recognizes that providing flexibility will support their extraordinary efforts. Some schools may provide a virtual learning option for students who are not ready to return to in-person learning this fall, for example, due to an increased risk of severe illness and/or special healthcare needs.¹ Schools will need flexibility to provide meals to virtual learners. Flexibility will also allow schools to continue with classroom meals, outdoor meals, and other meal service models that support social distancing for in-person students.”

USDA Memo April 20, 2021,

Subject: Child Nutrition Nationwide Waiver Update for School Year 2021-22

The waivers are set to expire on June 30 – leaving millions of children in the U.S. vulnerable to food insecurity. The waivers continue to be critical due to rising food prices, ongoing supply chain disruptions, and staffing shortages. Allowing them to expire will make it much harder for schools and local organizations to provide nutritious meals to children. Please sign a letter to your members of Congress urging them to continue the waivers.

Options to Take Action:

1. Sign the Action Letters at the Action Table outside the church on Sunday morning.
2. Download pdf copies of the Action Letters that you can sign and mail.
   Action Letter to Members of Congress for residents of California
   Action Letter to Members of Congress for those residing outside California
3. Link to Bread for the World action urging Congress to extend the Child Nutrition Waivers
   

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If you ever need to look up your member of the U.S. House of Representatives or your U.S. Senators check here: www.house.gov and www.senate.gov.

To find contact information for your California State Senator or California State Assemblyperson check here: www.senate.ca.gov and www.assembly.ca.gov.