Food Program Waiver information (California)
Dear Program Operator,
The California Department of Education (CDE) Nutrition Services Division (NSD) is extremely grateful for your concern about your Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) participants, and for your efforts to meet their nutritional needs during this difficult time.
On March 20, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued three meal service waivers as part of the COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response Act:
- Meal service time requirements applicable to all Child Nutrition Programs (CNP)
- Congregate feeding requirements applicable to all CNPs
- Educational or enrichment activity requirements applicable to National School Lunch Program Afterschool Snacks and CACFP At-risk Afterschool Meals and Snacks
The USDA requires Program Operators to provide notification to the CDE on the intent to utilize the waivers. In order to streamline the process, Program Operators are to complete an application as the means to provide this notification. Please note, the application is the notification to the CDE of your intent to use the waivers.
The application is located at https://surveys2.cde.ca.gov/go/cacfpcovidwaivers.asp.
Once you submit the application, it will inform you that CDE has approved your waiver(s).
Updates regarding the USDA waivers and any additional information agencies need to implement them will be posted to the CDE COVID-19 Guidance for K-12 Schools web page at www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/hn/schoolmeals.asp.
We appreciate your patience as we process waiver requests and answer your questions. Thank you again for your efforts to provide meals to our most vulnerable CACFP participants.
Contact Information
If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact the CDE by email at CACFPWAIVER@cde.ca.gov.
Thank you.
Nutrition Services Division
California Department of Education
NSD Customer Service Survey | www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/nsdcs.asp
Web | www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/
Twitter | @CDENutrition
Course Catalog | www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/ed/cnpcoursecatalog.asp