Pennsylvania requests extension of federal waivers to ensure meals for school-aged children
Last week, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Education Secretary Pedro Rivera wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture requesting extensions on several national waivers due to expire on August 31, 2020, that provide schools with meal distribution flexibility. The extensions are needed to ensure all Pennsylvania children under the age of 18 have consistent access to breakfast and lunch as schools approach the 2020-21 school year using a variety of instructional models that include hybrid or fully virtual learning. These deviations from normal operations present challenges for providing consistent access to food for children living in low-income households. To read more about the content of this letter, please see the August 21 Legislative Report.