PORTLAND — The federal government must renew waivers for programs that increase access to school meals amid the coronavirus pandemic, Maine’s Democratic congresswoman said.
Rep Chellie Pingree joined more than 100 members of Congress in a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue that called for the department to extend flexibility in school food programs through the coming school year. Pingree said “school meals programs are an essential lifeline” for students in Maine and the pandemic has worsened food insecurity for children.
The letter specifically calls for the USDA to renew waivers that enable the implementation of the Summer Food Service Program and the Seamless Summer Option. They also want the department to waive area eligibility requirements for the entire coming school year.
The Congress members said some schools won’t be able to keep providing meals to students next year without the added flexibility.
Copy the Story Link
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.