Health and Nutrition Services (HNS) is committed to supporting all Child Nutrition Programs during COVID-19. This webpage will provide all guidance for Program Year 2022 (PY22) operations while Child Nutrition COVID-19 waivers are still in place.
HNS has released a webform below for all Child Nutrition Program operators to report any sites that require a temporary school, center, or individual calssroom closure. Providing this information will allow HNS to offer technical assistance, if necessary, to ensure program participants still have access to meal services. Participants who are quarantined due to a school, center, or individual classroom closure may still receive meals and snacks on school days through alternative methods, such as curbside service, home delivery/bus routes, and parent pickup.
This reporting is not linked to, nor does it impact P-EBT.
HNS has released a webform below for all Child Nutrition Program operators to report any food supply disruptions. Food Supply disruptions are challenges in purchasing and receiving food or supplies through normal channels, unanticipated cancellation of food and supply contracts, lack of availability of certain foods or supplies, unexpected substitution of food products, and increased food and supply prices.
HNS hosted an informational session in partnership with the SNPAC Food Systems Chair where it was shared how HNS plans to gather information from Arizona’s CNP operators on food supply disruptions happening in our state via the Food Supply Disruption Form. View the recording and access the slides below.
Informational Session: Working Together to Address Food Supply Disruptions (Recording) (Slides)
All returning Child Nutrition Program operators will need to complete the application requirements set forth by HNS to serve and claim meals/snacks for the applicable programs for PY22. All applications in CNPWeb must be approved to submit a claim for reimbursement. Operators must submit claims within the 60-day period referenced on the Program Year 2022 Claiming Calendar.
School Meal Programs
School Food Authorities (SFAs) have the option to operate the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option (SSO) during this school year. SFAs (NSLP or SSO) may also provide an afterschool snack through the Afterschool Care Snack Program or a snack and supper through the At-Risk Afterschool Meals. SFAs approved to operate the At-Risk Afterschool Meals may also offer up to one meal and one snack on non-school days.
HNS has opted into waivers #85-#90, #92-#96-98 to support a successful reopening of schools and child care operations in PY 22. Depending on the wavier, program operators may need to notify the State agency prior to operating under these flexibilities. Program operators opt-in for all waivers within the CNPWeb Sponsor application.
Webinar: School Year 2021-2022 Waiver Review (Recording) (Slides)
Annual Reporting on Use and Benefits of Waivers
Program operators must report if their programs used the waiver and a description of whether and how this waiver resulted in improved services to Program participants. This reporting will be in survey form (linked below). ADE released memorandum HNS 26-2021 to announce the reporting period deadline.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) has allocated Supply Chain Assistance (SCA) funds for schools to purchase unprocessed or minimally processed domestic food products for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and/or School Breakfast Program (SBP) (including Seamless Summer Option (SSO)) in School Year (SY) 2021-2022. SFAs wishing to accept the SCA funds must affirm to all terms and conditions of the SCA funds by completing and returning the Attestation for Supply Chain Assistance Funds to HNS. Allocation amounts are calculated and will be communicated to each SFA. If the Attestation for Supply Chain Assistance Funds is not returned, funds will be considered declined.
United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services, is providing additional funds through two temporary reimbursement programs, School Programs Emergency Operational Costs Reimbursement Program and Child and Adult Care Food Program Emergency Operational Costs Reimbursement Program. These programs will provide eligible operators additional reimbursements for emergency operating costs they incurred during the months of March-June 2020.
HNS disbursed funds to eligible program operators in September 2021.
The Arizona Department of Education Recognizes Schools for Exemplary Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Programs
The Arizona Department of Education Health and Nutrition Services is pleased to announce the Program Year 2021-2022 BRAVOcado! awardees for excellent Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) operations. The BRAVOcado! Excellence Award is given to schools that demonstrate exemplary FFVP service and commitment to promoting fruit and vegetable consumption and healthy lifestyles to their students.
The FFVP BRAVOcado! Excellence Award recognizes schools that go above and beyond to operate a phenomenal FFVP program. To be eligible for the award, sites must meet criteria related to variety of produce items served, frequency of service, frequency of nutrition education, frequency of serving local produce, development of site-level and outside partnerships, and more!
The following three School Food Authorities went above and beyond and received the award this year. Congratulations to all awardees!
