Appendix E.2 State Agency Child Nutrition Director Advance Email

Appendix E.2

State Agency Child Nutrition Director Advance Email

OMB Control Number: 0584-0607

Expiration Date: XX/XX/20XX

FROM: [STUDY EMAIL]

TO: [SA CN DIRECTOR EMAIL]

EMAIL SUBJECT: COVID-19-related Nationwide Waiver Reporting

Dear [SA CN DIRECTOR]:

Mathematica is conducting the School Meals Operation (SMO) Study under contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). This email requests your full support.

For SY 2020-2021, the data collection is designed to gather information on statutory reporting requirements for the COVID-19 Child Nutrition (CN) waivers that were initially authorized in spring 2020. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) (PL 116-127) requires any State Agency (SA) that elects to use a CN nationwide waiver to submit a report, no later than 1 year after electing to use the waiver that, at a minimum, summarizes its use and describes how it resulted in improved services to Program participants. Full participation in the SMO will satisfy these mandatory reporting requirements.

The study includes all CN SAs that administer the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Seamless Summer Option, Summer Food Service Program, and Child and Adult Care Food Program. Your participation is vital to understanding the use of the COVID-19 CN waivers and to informing policies for CN programs intended to ensure these programs contribute to a healthy future for all children—a goal we all share.

We are requesting your participation in a survey, as well as your assistance with a request for disaggregated FNS-10, FNS-418 and FNS-44 administrative data. Within the next few days, Mathematica will email you an invitation to complete the web survey.

Thank you in advance for your assistance with this important study. For more information on this study, please see the attached brochure. If you have questions about the study or would like to request a survey by telephone or hard copy, please contact Mathematica at [STUDY PHONE] or [STUDY EMAIL].

Sincerely,

Rachel Frisk

Project Director

Mathematica

Attachments: Study Brochure