Food and Nutrition Service

Feeding Kids When Schools Are Closed

Due to Coronavirus (COVID-19)

With many school systems closed to help limit the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture (USDA) is working to make sure no child goes hungry. Our Department 

has issued waivers in all 50 States and the territories, allowing for flexibilities in our programs that 

make it easier for States and local partners to serve children.

Flexibilities Provided During COVID-19 

USDA is allowing State Child Nutrition agencies to waive the following program requirements during 

the public health emergency:

Meal Service Time Requirements: allows program operators the flexibility to adjust 

the times meals and snacks are provided in order to streamline operations.

Learn more: https://www.fns.usda.gov/resource/cn-covid-19-meal-timesnationwide-waiver

Congregate (Group) Meal Requirements: supports social distancing by allowing 

meals to be provided as grab n’ go to a parent or guardian or for meals to be delivered. 

Learn more: https://www.fns.usda.gov/resource/cn-covid-19-non-congregate-feedingnationwide-waiver and https://www.fns.usda.gov/resource/covid-19-nationwidewaiver-allow-parents-and-guardians-pick-meals-children

Meal Pattern Requirements: provides flexibility in meeting dietary specifications and 

in providing required meal components when there are food supply issues.

Learn more: https://www.fns.usda.gov/resource/covid-19-nationwide-waiver-allowmeal-pattern-flexibility-child-nutrition-programs

Educational or Enrichment Activity Requirements for Afterschool Meals 

and Snacks: allows children to receive afterschool snacks without having to participate 

in an education or enrichment activity onsite. Learn more: https://www.fns.usda.gov/

resource/cn-covid-19-afterschool-activity-waiver

Area Eligibility Requirements: allows summer meal programs to operate in areas that 

may not meet area eligibility requirements (i.e., where less than half of the children in the 

area are in low-income households). Learn more: https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/childnutrition-area-eligibility-waiver
Innovative Meal Service Solutions

 Meal Delivery

School food authorities (SFAs) may deliver meals to students in certain areas or directly to students who 

are eligible for free and reduced-price school meals. The SFA may be able to use a mail or delivery service 

or utilize school staff, volunteers, or community organizations to deliver meals. Child and Adult Care Food 

Program (CACFP) operators also may deliver meals to children or adult participants enrolled for care in their 

programs, using distribution plans similar to SFAs. More information about how to receive State agency 

approval, Federal confidentiality requirements, and necessary Federal waiver approvals is available in this 

Questions & Answers document: https://www.fns.usda.gov/sfsp/covid-19-meal-delivery

 Emergency Meals-to-You

SFAs may apply to their State agency to participate 

in the Emergency Meals-to-You delivery service. This 

is an innovative Summer Food Service Program meal 

delivery service made possible through a collaboration 

between USDA and the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger 

and Poverty, McLane Global, PepsiCo, and others to 

deliver millions of meals a week to students enrolled in 

rural schools closed due to COVID-19.

Learn more: https://mealstoyou.org/

 “Summer” Meals Program

SFAs and community organizations may operate the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) or the 

Seamless Summer Option of the National School Lunch Program (SSO) when school buildings are closed 

unexpectedly due to COVID-19. This is true even if schools continue to offer online or at-home learning 

experiences. Families can find a site near them using the Meals for Kids Site Finder at:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/meals4kids

Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT)

State agencies may submit a proposal to USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service to provide P-EBT 

benefits to households with children who have temporarily lost access to free or reducedprice school meals due to pandemic-related school closures that last at least 5 consecutive 

days. If the proposal is approved, eligible households will receive benefits (food dollars) on an 

EBT card. Learn more: https://www.fns.usda.gov/resource/state-guidance-coronaviruspandemic-ebt-p-ebt

Find Child Nutrition Program updates related to COVID-19 at

https://www.fns.usda.gov/disaster/pandemic/covid-19

Links to Resources

Practice Safe Hygiene and Cleaning

Grab n’ Go Recipes

Pantry Recipes for Child Care and Homes

Online Learning for School Nutrition 

Professionals

Digital Nutrition Resources for Kids

FNS-864 April 2020

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