FROM THE BLOG
with Dr. Katie Wilson, SNS
Families Drowning in the Waves of Waivers
in providing this necessary service. Finally a break – allowing schools to serve their communities during this crisis. Exhaustion over the last two years has taken its toll and now everyone wants things to get back to “normal.” What is normal? Today it is hybrid school schedules, regular supply chain challenges, more families that qualify for meal assistance who have never filled out an application for anything in the past, and at least 30% of school food service staff vacancies. These are the current challenges in school nutrition, only due to the fact that Congress has refused to extend these waivers for one more year. Families across America will be drowning in the wave of no waivers. Everyone needs one more year to reset. One more year to sort out supply chain issues, one more year to make sure families are back on their feet financially, and one more year to ensure students living on the brink of poverty are not left to fend for themselves. To one of the richest countries in the world, with one
of the most plentiful and safe food supplies – what is there to think about?
On June 30, 2022 thousands of children will fall off the cliff of hunger security. Families will be confused as to why food is no longer available to their children, schools will carry the burden and fall out of the community’s favor for cutting the services so desperately needed by children. This is nothing more than a political move – a huge wave created by a few lawmakers that want to use it to reposition blame on others for the issues created by the pandemic. Congress needs to dive in and throw children the life jacket. Calm the sea of challenges for families across this country – extend child nutrition waivers through June 2023.
What is up with waivers? School meals have given children an anti-hunger, nutrition security lifeline for decades. They are so common across the United States that when
Even with all of these challenges staring school nutrition teams in the face, they used their expertise and ingenuity to come up with a way to meet most nutritional
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the pandemic hit, the first place community members looked for help was their local school cafeteria. At first, it was total chaos. Nothing like this had ever happened before and no one knew how quickly families would experience food insecurity, seeking assistance through school nutrition programs. Delivery service models changed overnight with supply chain and staffing challenges close behind. If a truck came, there was no guarantee what was on
requirements, pack correct portion sizes and even incorporate instructions for preparation into weekly food boxes for families. They were and still are heroes in every sense of the word, exposing themselves to COVID without self concern because they knew that the children in their care needed to eat. With the help of USDA and advocacy groups across this country, Congress gave the authority to the Secretary of USDA to grant a variety of waivers to make
Everyone needs one more year to reset. One more year to sort out supply chain issues, one more year to make sure families are back on their feet financially, and one more year to ensure students living on the brink of poverty are not left to fend for themselves.
To Learn more about USFA and read additional blog posts visit USFA online here.
Dr. Wilson has dedicated her career to improving access to healthy school meals for all children, presently serving as Executive Director for the Urban School Food Alliance . She has spent 23 years as a school nutrition director in three Wisconsin public schools, five years as Executive Director for the Institute of Child Nutrition, two years as USDA Deputy Under Secretary of Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, appointed by President Obama. Dr. Wilson holds a BS in Dietetics, a MS in Food Science and Nutrition and a PhD in Foodservice and Lodging Management. She has received many peer nominated awards and is considered one of the top experts in school nutrition. Dr. Katie Wilson, SNS Executive Director, Urban School Food Alliance
it, or if you would have the staff to check it in and/or prepare the food to serve. Added to that, for the safety of children and the school staff, children could not come to serving sites daily.
sure schools could not only send food home for students, but still get reimbursed for the meals. This included a higher reimbursement rate to cover some of the increasing costs
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