Title: USDA Announces Changes to School Wellness Policy Requirements
Author:
Section/SPIG: Food and Nutrition
Issue Date:
The Child Nutrition and Reauthorization Act of 2004 required all schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program to have local wellness policies in place at the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year. This July, the United States Department of Agriculture announced changes to wellness policy requirements, changes driven by the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.The law required the following provisions to be in effect at the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year:
- That additional stakeholders be included in the development, implementation and review of the wellness policies.
- Schools are to inform and update parents, students and others in the community about the content and implementation of the local wellness policies.
Local wellness policies are an important tool for parents, local educational agencies and school districts to promote student wellness, prevent and reduce childhood obesity, and provide assurance that school meal nutrition guidelines meet the minimum federal school meal standards.The USDA Food and Nutrition Service will be updating the local wellness policy materials on the FNS website.