Public Notification: Summer Food Service Program Waiver Request

Published on Friday, April 08, 2022

The Rhode Island Department of Education plans on submitting a waiver request to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for flexibility in requirements of the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), regarding:

• Congregate feeding requirements of the SFSP, stating that all meals must be served in a congregate setting

If granted, this waiver will extend SFSP flexibilities for serving meals to children in a non-congregate setting. This flexibility was granted by the USDA to Rhode Island through September 30, 2021, which enabled sites to safely serve healthy meals to children while allowing for social distancing. We are requesting this waiver flexibility for sponsors for Summer 2022 to encourage parents/guardians who may be hesitant to engage in congregate settings to bring their children to meal sites, thereby improving access for Rhode Island’s children to healthy meals throughout the summer.

For more information on the program, call the Rhode Island Department of Education, Office of Statewide Efficiencies, Child Nutrition Programs at (401) 222-8701 or (401) 222-4698.