September 1, 2005 -- USDA Gives Schools Flexibility to Feed Children After Hurricane

The U.S. Agriculture Department (USDA) yesterday told schools in hurricane-ravaged areas that if they can still operate school food programs but are no longer able to document which children are eligible for free or reduced-price meals, they may serve all meals free to attending children. The waiver applies through September 30. Director Stanley Garnett of USDA’s Child Nutrition Division also said schools in affected areas are temporarily exempted from milk and other meal component requirements. When families outside the hurricane area take in children made homeless by the disaster, school officials are to treat the refugee children as “homeless”—meaning they are automatically eligible for free meals—and children in the families that took them in can be considered eligible for free or reduced-price meals at the discretion of school officials. The USDA said it will continue to monitor the school food situation in the hurricane-ravaged areas and will provide updates as needed. The announcement, which went to nutrition programs in all regions of the U.S. and to all state child nutrition programs, is available at www.usda.gov.