Child Nutrition


P-EBT Assistance for Families

Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) is a program that helps children who would have received free or reduced-price meals at their schools if not for the COVID-19 pandemic. In Oklahoma, the Department of Human Services (DHS) administers the program through funding provided by a federal grant.

Learn more about the P-EBT program, including who to contact with questions.

Announcements

OSDE Child Nutrition Programs has requested a State waiver from USDA for CEP mid-year change due to the FNS Final Rule – Child Nutrition Programs: Community Eligibility Provision New Minimum Identified Student Percentage.

Programs

National School Lunch Program (NSLP)

The National School Lunch Act, passed in 1946, established school lunch programs across the nation. The purpose of the program was to safeguard the health and well-being of the nation's children and to encourage the consumption of agricultural abundance. 

The National School Lunch Program is available to any public or private nonprofit school or licensed residential child care institution. The objectives of the National School Lunch Program are to make available to all students enrolled in schools and institutions a meal during a period designated as the lunch period; to provide nutritionally adequate meals that are acceptable to students, thus reducing plate waste; to provide assistance to participants to ensure that minimum meal requirements are met; and to ensure that all programs are accountable. School districts and residential child care institutions may receive reimbursement for lunches served to enrolled students at predetermined rates established for free, reduced-price, or full-price meals each fiscal year. 

In 1995, the federal government implemented regulations that require all school lunches and breakfasts to be consistent with the recommendation for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This rule established specific minimum standards for calories and key nutrients that meals must meet.

School Breakfast Program (SBP)

Established by federal legislation in 1966, the School Breakfast Program received permanent authorization in 1975. The purposes of this program are to make breakfast available in schools for students who, for various reasons, come to school without an adequate breakfast and to increase the number of school breakfast programs by continuing to notify all non breakfast-program schools as to the availability of the program.

As with the National School Lunch Program, any public or private nonprofit school or licensed residential child care institution is eligible to benefit from the School Breakfast Program. School districts and residential child care institutions may receive reimbursement for breakfasts served to enrolled students at predetermined rates established for free, reduced-price, or full-price meals each fiscal year.

In 1995, the federal government implemented regulations that require all school lunches and breakfasts to be consistent with the recommendation for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This rule established specific minimum standards for calories and key nutrients that meals must meet.

After-School Snack Program (ASSP)

The After-School Snack Program was created to provide after-school snacks to children who participate in an organized after-school enrichment or educational program. The after-school program must provide children with regularly scheduled activities in a structured and supervised setting and must be run by a school that is operating the National School Lunch Program.

Schools participating in the After-School Snack Program may claim reimbursement for one snack per child per day for participating children enrolled in public school. A qualifying after-school program located in an attendance area of a school site in which at least 50 percent of the enrolled students are certified for free or reduced-price meals may receive reimbursement for snacks served to students at the free rate. A qualifying after-school program located in an attendance area that does not meet the 50 percent free and reduce-price criteria may receive reimbursement for snacks served to students at the free, reduced-price, or full-price rates established each new fiscal year.

Special Milk Program

In 1954, the Special Milk Program was implemented to encourage fluid milk consumption by selling milk to students at the lowest possible price and serving milk free to students determined to be eligible. Beginning in 1981 and continuing through 1986, this program was available only to schools and nonprofit child care institutions not participating in the National School Lunch and/or School Breakfast Programs. In 1986, the Special Milk Program was expanded to include split-session kindergarten children who do not have access to the breakfast and/or lunch programs because of their half-day schedules. The benefits of the program were also extended to preprimary class students who do not have access to the breakfast and/or lunch program because of their half-day schedules.

School districts which have split-session kindergarten and preprimary students who do not have access to the National School Lunch and/or School Breakfast Programs may receive reimbursement for milk served to these students. Schools may choose either to serve milk free to students qualifying according to family income, serve milk at a set price to all students, or serve milk free to all students.

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)

The Special Food Service Program for Children, established by Congress in 1968, was the forerunner of the Child Care Food Program. Further legislation in 1975, 1978, 1981, and 1987 clarified, expanded, and made permanent the Child Care Food Program. The title was changed in 1989 to the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).

Child care centers, adult day care centers, Head Start programs, and family day care homes may participate in the CACFP. Eligible institutions include settlement houses, day care centers, organizations providing day care services for disabled individuals and /or adults 60 years of age or older, and outside-school-hours care centers. Organizations eligible to sponsor a CACFP include units of state or local government; nonprofit private organizations such as community action agencies and churches; and private for-profit organizations sponsoring Title XX and Title XIX centers which receive Title XX and Title XIX compensation for at least 25 percent of the participants enrolled or 25 percent of license capacity, whichever is less.

Two types of assistance are available through the CACFP. The first of these—cash reimbursement—is available for meals and/or supplements meeting the United States Department of Agriculture meal pattern requirements, but not exceeding three meals per day per child. The second type of assistance available through the program is in the form of commodities donated by the United States Department of Agriculture. Commodities are made available to eligible participating agencies through the Oklahoma Department of Human Services Food and Nutrition Service Unit.

At-Risk Afterschool Meals

 The At-Risk Afterschool Meals component of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) offers Federal funding to Afterschool Programs that serve a meal or snack to children in low-income areas.  Reimbursement for At-Risk Afterschool Snacks has been available since the 1990s. However, reimbursement for At-Risk Afterschool Meals was available only in a few states.  The Healthy, Hunger-Free Act of 2010 expanded the availability for At-Risk Afterschool Meals to all States. 

At-Risk Afterschool Care provides a service to their communities.  They give children a safe place to go and nutritious food that gives them the energy they need to concentrate on homework and join their friends in physical, educational, and social activities. Organizations may participate in the CACFP Program either as an independent afterschool program or through a sponsor. However, they are required to meet certain requirements to receive reimbursement for meals and snacks served to eligible participants. 

Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)

During the school year, many children receive free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch through the School Breakfast and National School Lunch Programs. What happens when school lets out? Hunger is one of the most severe roadblocks to the learning process. Lack of nutrition during the summer months may set up a cycle for poor performance once school begins again. Hunger also may make children more prone to illness and other health issues. The Summer Food Service Program is designed to fill that nutrition gap and make sure children can get the nutritious meals they need.

Seamless Summer Option (SSO)

The purpose of the Seamless Summer Option is to encourage more School Food Authorities (SFAs) to provide meals during summer and other school vacation periods. This option combines features of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). The seamless option reduces paperwork and administrative burden, making it easier for SFAs to feed children in low-income areas during the traditional summer vacation periods and, for year-round schools, long school vacation periods (generally exceeding 2-3 weeks).

Public and non-profit private schools participating in the NSLP or SBP are eligible to apply for the Seamless Summer Option (SSO). Feeding sites must be in areas where at least 50 % of the children in the area served, or 50 % of its enrolled children must be eligible for free or reduced price school meals. All children in the community must be able to attend or enroll in sites.

Sites may serve up to two meals daily: breakfast, lunch or dinner, or snacks (three for migrant and camp sites). Sponsors earn the “free” federal reimbursement rates for each meal served.

 

Public Notification

OK State Department of Education submitted a waiver request to USDA to waiver the 3-year administrative review requirement to a 5-year cycle. Approval of this wavier will provide the following benefits:

  • SFAs have experienced difficulties in preparing for and responding to administrative review Corrective Action (CA) in the short time turn-around which can resulting in lack of time to thoroughly implement changes by the SFA. Approval of this waiver will allow for more technical assistance (TA) during the (CA) completion phase as well as more in-depth and thorough TA to SFAs during the years they are not reviewed.
  • Allow SA staff to perform and concentrate on more details in completion of the process as well as achieve more consistence across reviews.
USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

 

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

  1. mail:
    U.S. Department of Agriculture
    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
    1400 Independence Avenue, SW
    Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
  2. fax:
    (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
  3. email:
    program.intake@usda.gov

 

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

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Last updated on March 13, 2024