On October 9, 2020, Ā U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that the U.S. Department of AgricultureĀ (USDA)Ā is extending flexibilities to allow free meals to continue to be available to all children throughout the entire 2020-2021 school year. This unprecedented move helpsĀ to ensure thatĀ all children across the US have access to nutritious food as the nation recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.Ā USDA previously extended child nutrition waivers through December 31, 2020 based upon available funding at the time. TheĀ flexibilities extendedĀ will now allow schools and other local program operators to continue to leverage the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) to provide no cost meals to all children, available at over 90,000Ā sites across the country, through June 30, 2021.Ā Ā To view the press release,Ā click here.