State agencies and child nutrition sponsoring agencies shall comply with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; American with Disabilities Act (ADA); Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975.
In the operation of the Child Nutrition Programs, no individual in the United States shall solely by reason of his or her race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), age, or disability, be excluded from the participation in, denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.
Forms and Resources for Operators
Filing a Complaint
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: How to File a Complaint, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
fax: (202) 690-7442; or
email: [email protected].
Para presentar una denuncia de discriminación, complete el Formulario de Denuncia de Discriminación del Programa del USDA, (AD-3027) que está disponible en línea en: How to File a Complaint. y en cualquier oficina del USDA, o bien escriba una carta dirigida al USDA e incluya en la carta toda la información solicitada en el formulario. Para solicitar una copia del formulario de denuncia, llame al (866) 632-9992. Haga llegar su formulario lleno o carta al USDA por:
correo: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
fax: (202) 690-7442; or
correo electrónico: [email protected].
Nondiscrimination Policy Statement
All USDA Food and Nutrition Programs should include the required nondiscrimination statement on all appropriate FNS and agency publications, posters, and informational materials. The statement can be found below and at https://www.fns.usda.gov/civil-rights/usda-nondiscrimination-statement-other-fns-programs. For Spanish: https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/cr/nondiscrim-spanish.pdf.
The long statement reads as follows:
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
fax: (202) 690-7442; or
email: [email protected].
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
The short statement reads as follows:
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
The shorter statement may be used if the material is too small to permit the long statement. However, the print size should be no smaller than the text of the document. Examples include: letters, memos, notices, menus, internet, public service announcements, television spots, or advertisements, recruitment and outreach correspondence.
The Spanish statement reads as follows:
De conformidad con la Ley Federal de Derechos Civiles y los reglamentos y políticas de derechos civiles del Departamento de Agricultura de los EE. UU. (USDA, por sus siglas en inglés), se prohíbe que el USDA, sus agencias, oficinas, empleados e instituciones que participan o administran programas del USDA discriminen sobre la base de raza, color, nacionalidad, sexo, discapacidad, edad, o en represalia o venganza por actividades previas de derechos civiles en algún programa o actividad realizados o financiados por el USDA.
Las personas con discapacidades que necesiten medios alternativos para la comunicación de la información del programa (por ejemplo, sistema Braille, letras grandes, cintas de audio, lenguaje de señas americano, etc.), deben ponerse en contacto con la agencia (estatal o local) en la que solicitaron los beneficios. Las personas sordas, con dificultades de audición o discapacidades del habla pueden comunicarse con el USDA por medio del Federal Relay Service [Servicio Federal de Retransmisión] al (800) 877-8339. Además, la información del programa se puede proporcionar en otros idiomas.
Para presentar una denuncia de discriminación, complete el Formulario de Denuncia de Discriminación del Programa del USDA, (AD-3027) que está disponible en línea en: How to File a Complaint. y en cualquier oficina del USDA, o bien escriba una carta dirigida al USDA e incluya en la carta toda la información solicitada en el formulario. Para solicitar una copia del formulario de denuncia, llame al (866) 632-9992. Haga llegar su formulario lleno o carta al USDA por:
1. correo: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
2. fax: (202) 690-7442; or
3. correo electrónico: [email protected].
Esta institución es un proveedor que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades.
Civil Rights Reminders for Child Nutrition Sponsors
- Provide your Child Nutrition Program (CNP) in a nondiscriminatory manner.
- Offer meals to all CNP participants.
- Offer meal substitutions to any participant who discloses a food allergy, intolerance, medical condition, or any major bodily function affected by a food item.
- Prominently display the "And Justice for All" nondiscrimination poster in 11" by 17" dimensions in areas where participants and potential participants have access.
- Include the nondiscrimination statement on all printed material and webpages available to the public which mentions USDA, CACFP, NSLP, and/or SFSP.
- Provide informational materials concerning the availability and nutritional benefits of the CNPs in appropriate translations and use language interpreters as needed.
- Submit your media release to a media outlet annually.
- Collect ethnic and racial data annually for all CNPs and each camp session in SFSP.
- Train staff annually on civil rights and maintain the agenda, sign-in sheet, and training materials.
- Include assurances in all CNP related contracts.
- Develop and implement your Civil Rights Complaint procedures.
- Maintain a Civil Rights Complaint Log.
- Make the civil rights complaint forms, civil rights log, and civil rights complaint procedures available to all staff.
- Refer all civil rights complaints to your assigned HNS specialist promptly.
Racial and Ethnic Categories
The race and ethnic categories for data collection and reporting have been changed to the following:
Ethnic Categories:
Hispanic or Latino A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. The term “Spanish origin” can be used in addition to “Hispanic or Latino.”
Non-Hispanic or Non-Latino A person other than Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
Racial Categories:
Black or African American A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. Terms such as “Haitian” can be used in addition to ‘Black or African American.’
Asian A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.
American Indian or Alaskan Native A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment.
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.
White A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.
