Month: March 2020

Please follow the link below for a directory of farms and farmers’ markets state-wide that remain accessible to provide fresh, nutritious food to Alabama communities.

Visit this resource, provided by Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network, here.

To find details about schools offering meals for local children and students during the COVID-19 crisis, please visit https://www.fns.usda.gov/meals4kids .

By entering a specific address, the map will show all locations offering meal services within a specified mile radius. By clicking on any blue dot on the resulting map, one will see the name of the location. By clicking the arrow next to the name, one can find specific details regarding meal service for the location.

In addition, one can text “FOOD” to 877-877 to receive nearby meal service location information from NoKidHungry.org.

No Kid Hungry has updated a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to school-nutrition programs, including the following:

1.    Can we serve meals through the child nutrition programs outside of the usual group (“congregate”) settings to allow for social distancing? 
2.    Are all of the child nutrition programs available to serve kids during unanticipated school and child care closures?
3.    Do children have to be present to receive a meal, or can parents or guardians pick up meals on behalf of their children? 
4.    Do we still have to offer supervised enrichment programming in order to serve meals through the CACFP At-Risk Afterschool Meals?
5.    Do area eligibility restrictions still apply to SFSP, SSO, CACFP At-Risk Afterschool Meals, and NSLP Area-Eligible Afterschool Snacks?
6.    Do meal service time restrictions still apply? Can I provide more than one meal at the same or provide meals for multiple days at the same time?
7.    Can states submit waivers for other requirements?
8.    Should states wait for the USDA to make blanket national waivers?
9.    Can schools or sponsoring organizations take action to request or implement waivers on their own?
10.    Will schools or sponsoring organizations eventually have to submit waiver requests to their states?
11.    Who exactly can operate meal programs during school and care closures due the coronavirus?
12.    Does this apply to charter or private school closures, and could private and charter schools operate the program?
13.    Can new school food authorities or sponsoring organizations be approved to operate child nutrition programs and utilize these flexibilities?
14.    Can new sites be approved? Or can only current CACFP sites or past SFSP or SSO sites be utilized?
15.    In addition to breakfast and lunch through SBP and NSLP, my school used to serve supper through CACFP At-Risk Afterschool and/or snacks through CACFP At-Risk Afterschool or NSLP Afterschool Snacks. Can we continue to do so in addition to serving breakfast and lunch through SFSP or SSO?
16.    Where can these programs operate? 
17.    Is there any flexibility on the meal pattern requirements, especially with issues related to supply and availability?
18.    Is there any flexibility on procurement requirements to help us source food from other vendors that may have what we need?
19.    What other program requirements will continue to apply? 
20.    What if a school or school district was scheduled to be on spring break but is now closed? Can meals still be served through the SFSP or SSO?
21.    When can meals be served?
22.    What options are available for non-congregate meal service?
23.    My state or area is under a “shelter in place” or “stay at home” order that limits all but essential services. Can we still prepare and distribute meals? Can families still come to pick them up at distribution points, or do they have to be delivered to homes?
24.    What is Pandemic-EBT authorized by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R 6201)? 
25.    If my state implements P-EBT, will my school or sponsoring organization still be able to serve non-congregate meals?
26.    Is P-EBT available to children who are affected by child care closures?

Guidance is found in the document below: (Source)