FISCAL YEAR 2025 SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING/EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH WAIVER
April 17, 2025
The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) submitted a waiver request to the United States Department of Education (USED) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to approve Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sponsors, in good standing, to operate outdoor meal sites without temperature-controlled alternative sites as non-congregate sites, on days when the National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Heat Advisory, an Excessive Heat Warning, or an Excessive Heat Watch for the area where the site is located. This waiver, if approved, will be effective during the fiscal year 2025 SFSP season, which begins June 18, 2025, and ends Aug. 24, 2025.
Reference: Non-Congregate Meal Service: [42 U.S.C. 1753(b)(1)(A), 42 U.S.C. 1761(a)(1)(D), and 7 CFR 225.6(i)(15)], meals must be served in a congregate setting and must be consumed by participants on site.
Reference: Parent or Guardian Meal Pickup: 42 U.S.C. 1761(f)(3), 7 CFR 225.2 (Meals), and 7 CFR 225.9(d)(7)], meals must be served to eligible children.
FISCAL YEAR 2025 SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM AIR QUALITY INDEX WAIVER
April 17, 2025
The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) submitted a waiver request to the United States Department of Education (USED) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to approve Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sponsors, in good standing, to operate outdoor meal sites without temperature-controlled alternative sites as non-congregate sites on days when the area is experiencing an Air Quality Index (AQI) that reaches a “purple” flag level or higher, as indicated at airnow.gov/. This waiver, if approved, will be effective during the fiscal year 2025 SFSP season, which begins June 18, 2025, and ends Aug. 24, 2025.
Reference: Non-Congregate Meal Service: [42 U.S.C. 1753(b)(1)(A), 42 U.S.C. 1761(a)(1)(D), and 7 CFR 225.6(i)(15)], meals must be served in a congregate setting and must be consumed by participants on site.
CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM COORDINATED SERVICES PLAN WAIVER REQUEST
January 1, 2024
The District of Columbia applied for and was approved to defer the January 1, 2025, compliance date for the Coordinated Services Plan (CSP) for the Summer EBT / SUN Bucks and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) until January 1, 2026.
December 12, 2024
The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) submitted a waiver request to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Office (MARO) to defer the January 1, 2025, compliance date for the Coordinated Services Plan (CSP) for the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children Program (Summer EBT) and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).
OSSE will post information regarding the approval or denial of this waiver request and will notify all sponsors via email once the USDA makes the determination.
For more information, please contact Early Childhood and Outside School Time Team Manager Amelia Peterson-Kosecki at Amelia.Peterson-Kosecki1@dc.gov.
CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM (CACFP) CONGREGATE FEEDING REQUIREMENT WAIVER
December 19, 2023
The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) submitted a request to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Office (MARO) for the Child and Adult Care Food Program to waive the congregate feeding requirement in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), the School Breakfast Program (SBP), the Seamless Summer Option (SSO), and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). If granted, the waiver allows non-congregate meals to be served in the event of an unanticipated school closure.
Information regarding the approval or denial of these waiver requests will be posted here and will be provided to all sponsors via email once the USDA makes the determination.
For more information, please contact Early Childhood and Outside School Time Team Manager Amelia Peterson-Kosecki at Amelia.Peterson-Kosecki1@dc.gov.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. Visit the USDA website to view the USDA’s nondiscrimination statement.