Tuesday Morning - October 27, 2020 An Update on Federal and State Policy Issuesfrom SNA Table of Contents COVID-19 Policy Updates USDA Publishes Q & A for SFSP and SSO Extended Waivers Federal Policy SNA Submits Comments for Information Collection on COVID-19 Response USDA Announces $4.1 Million in Team Nutrition Training Grants State Snapshots Nebraska Introduces the Hunger-Free Schools Act Mark Your Calendars Upcoming SNA Webinar Upcoming FRAC Webinar Upcoming Team Nutrition Webinar Mystery Chat Corner COVID-19 Policy Updates USDA Publishes Q & A for SFSP and SSO Extended Waivers On October 14, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) published "Questions and Answers Relating to the Nationwide Waiver to Allow Summer Food Service Program and Seamless Summer Option Operations through School Year 2020-2021." This memorandum includes questions and answers intended to provide clarification to State Agencies and Program operators on issues related to recently published waivers for SFSP and SSO during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read SNA’s full press release for more information. Back to the top School nutrition employees at Bellport High School in Brookhaven, New York, preparing take-home meals for students. Federal Policy SNA Submits Comments for Information Collection on COVID-19 Response On October 20, 2020, SNA submitted its comments to the USDA FNS for the Federal Register notice, "Agency Information Collection Activities: FNS Information Collection Needs due to COVID-19." The purpose of this notice was to gather information related to waivers and other flexibilities provided through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Acts. SNA recommends FNS continue to modify its platform to gather information rather than requiring State Agencies or school districts to make changes to their current systems. Back to the top USDA Announces $4.1 Million in Team Nutrition Training Grants The USDA FNS has announced $4.1 million in Team Nutrition Training Grants to State Agencies to develop standardized recipes for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. In addition to ingredients and preparation instructions, some important information for a USDA standardized recipe includes nutrition information, crediting and marketing guides. FNS is planning to provide states with another opportunity to apply for the 2021 Team Nutrition Training Grant for School Meal Recipe Development in January of 2021. Back to the top State Snapshots Nebraska Introduces the Hunger-Free Schools Act LB 1039 states that every student deserves access to healthy food during the school day and requires schools to provide students with the best educational success opportunity by ensuring that public school serves meals each school day at no cost to eligible students. Back to the top Mark Your Calendars Upcoming SNA Webinar Join us November 5th for the next webinar in SNA’s new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Series and learn about creating a more inclusive environment. If you missed a particular webinar, catch up with SNA’s on-demand webinars. How to Become a More Inclusive Team Member Thursday, November 5, 2020, 3:00 pm ET Everyone wants to work on a team where they feel welcome, respected, and valued. Join us for a webinar designed to do just that—and created especially for the heart of every K-12 foodservice team—school nutrition employees and frontline staff. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expert, Dr. Nika White, will provide guidance to help you create a more inclusive environment. She’ll also unlock the secrets to great teamwork and share how you can take small steps that will make a BIG difference every day! Back to the top Upcoming FRAC Webinar Did you know that the federally funded Afterschool and Summer Nutrition Programs can provide meals on weekends, school holidays, and school breaks? Next Thursday, November 5, 2020, 3:00 pm ET, join the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) for the webinar, "Serving Meals on Weekends and Holidays." This webinar will provide an overview of available options for serving meals on weekends and holidays along with best practices for implementation. Back to the top Upcoming Team Nutrition Webinar On Thursday, November 19, 2020, 2:00 pm ET, join Team Nutrition for the webinar, "Crediting Single-Serving Packages of Grains in the Child and Adult Care Food Program." This webinar will show Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) operators how to credit single-serving packages of grains toward a reimbursable meal or snack. Attendees will have a chance to submit questions to the presenters and check their knowledge through interactive polling questions. Back to the top Mystery Chat Corner In 1991 on October 27th, which baseball team beat the Atlanta Braves in Game 7 at the World Series? A: Minnesota Twins Back to the top