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THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

Office of P-20 Education Policy
Child Nutrition Program Administration
89 Washington Avenue, Room 375 EBA, Albany, NY 12234
Phone: (518) 473-8781 Fax: (518) 473-0018
To: 
School Food Service Directors/Managers
From: 
Child Nutrition Program Administration
Date: 
Friday, August 23, 2024
Subject: 
Partnerships With Faith-Based and Neighborhood Organizations

**This message is to inform you that USDA’s Notice to Beneficiaries and Prospective Beneficiaries guidance/material is hereby retracted as to religious schools and institutions. As appropriate, we will send you USDA’s forthcoming clarification of this guidance/material. 

 

The original memo posted on July 26, 2024 is below.

A recently published final rule entitled, Partnerships With Faith-Based and Neighborhood Organizations at 89 FR 15671, has amended USDA regulations at 7 CFR part 16. Effective July 2, 2024, these changes require Child Nutrition Program operators to take specific actions to ensure compliance.

Key Requirements:

  1. Non-Discrimination Notice:
    • Provide written notice to beneficiaries of their right to be free from discrimination on the basis of religion.
    • Provide written notice to beneficiaries on how to report violations of these regulatory protections.
  2. Information on Other Service Providers:
    • Optionally, provide written notice to beneficiaries on how to obtain information about other federally funded service providers available in their area.

Action Steps:

To comply with these new requirements, please follow the steps below:

  1. Utilize the Template:
  2. Distribute the Notice:
    • Post at service locations (e.g., schools, childcare centers, community organization sites).
    • Post on the local program operator website.
    • Provide flyers or handouts at food distribution sites (e.g., congregate meal sites, non-congregate meal pick-up locations).
    • Add the written notification to the program application.

Additional Information:

For more details, please visit the USDA website.

Thank you for your prompt attention to these new requirements.

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

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/ad-3027.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:

  1. mail:
    U.S. Department of Agriculture
    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
    1400 Independence Avenue, SW
    Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
  2. fax:
    (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
  3. email:
    Program.Intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Click here for Nondiscrimination Statement translations.

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