The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced this week it will extend several waivers to allow all children, regardless of income, to receive free school meals through Sept. 30 via the Summer Food Service Program and the Seamless Summer Option program. The waivers previously extended only through June 30. The programs allow meals to be served outside of the normally required group settings and meal times, and allow parents or guardians to pick up meals for their children, including in bulk to cover multiple days worth of meals, according to a USDA press release.
"However, Tuesday’s announcement did not come with increased per-meal reimbursements for providers," Laura Reiley reports for The Washington Post. "During the pandemic, most school meal programs have operated at a loss, with significantly higher costs and no increased per-meal reimbursement from the USDA."Lisa Davis, a senior vice president at hunger charity Share Our Strength, said it's more expensive for schools to implement these programs. "Schools have needed boxes and bags and shrink wrap," she told Reiley. "There has needed to be added refrigeration to store meals safely. Then there were supply-chain issues, transportation costs went up, and certain foods were harder to come by and at a premium. Staffing costs went up as districts started paying hazard pay, bringing in temporary support and providing PPE."
from The Rural Blog https://ift.tt/3qE8Q70 USDA extends free school meals through September, but doesn't increase reimbursements for meal providers - Entrepreneur Generations
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