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Writer's pictureSamantha Marshall

CDE Releases School Year 2021-2022 Initial Waiver Elections

Copied below is the information and link in order to opt into the nationwide waivers issued by USDA in April. We are pulling up and out the CACFP specific ones. There are waivers that need will need to be resubmitted throughout the school year and there are waivers that are annual. If you are a family child care home, you do not need to fill anything out, this is your CACFP Sponsor's role. Be sure to read all of CDE's guidance prior to applying for the waiver(s).


This is the link to will apply for the waivers is: https://surveys2.cde.ca.gov/go/sy2122initialwaivers.asp.


Annual Election

CACFP waivers that will not expire until the end of school year 2021-2022 are (annual election):

Elections that Need to Be Resubmitted

The CACFP waivers that CNP Operators will need to reevaluate and resubmit their meal service waiver three times over the course of the 2021ā€“22 SY by completing the SY 2021ā€“22 Initial Waiver Elections Application.


Waiver elections will be valid for the following three timeframes:

  • Initial waiver elections: July 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021

  • Mid-year waiver reelections: January 1, 2022, through March 31, 2022

  • Final waiver reelections: April 1, 2022, through June 30, 2022

CACFP Waivers in this category:

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California Department of Education (CDE) Official Announcement


On April 20, 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released several waivers for School Year (SY) 2021ā€“22. For Child Nutrition Programs (CNP) Sponsors operating the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), NSLP Seamless Summer Option (SSO), or Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), the USDA has provided policy guidance on the requirements and conditions for the flexibilities. The USDA requires for a subset of these flexibilities, including noncongregate meals, parent pick up, and meal time requirements, that they only be used to the extent needed until in-person congregate meals and snacks can be resumed safely. As a result, some waiver elections must be confirmed routinely during the course of the 2021ā€“22 SY, and in the case of the meal pattern waivers, additional justifications are needed. Additionally, the USDA also requires the California Department of Education (CDE) to track the use of these waivers. As a result of this requirement and the limited use mandate, all CNP Operators will need to reevaluate and resubmit their meal service waiver three times over the course of the 2021ā€“22 SY by completing the SY 2021ā€“22 Initial Waiver Elections Application at https://surveys2.cde.ca.gov/go/sy2122initialwaivers.asp. Waiver elections will be valid for the following three timeframes:

  • Initial waiver elections: July 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021

  • Mid-year waiver reelections: January 1, 2022, through March 31, 2022

  • Final waiver reelections: April 1, 2022, through June 30, 2022

Please note that meal pattern waivers may be submitted at any time and will be valid only for the period during which they were submitted. The CDE has divided the SY 2021ā€“22 waiver elections into two groups, Annual Elections and Initial Elections, to assist you in tracking the waivers with a limited use mandate.

Annual Elections: Valid for the Entire 2021ā€“22 SY You may opt into these waivers at any time during the SY. Once selected, the following waivers do not require periodic confirmation and will be valid for the entire 2021ā€“22 SY.


SY 2021ā€“22 Initial Waiver Elections: July 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021 The USDA required that the following waivers be used only to the extent needed until in-person congregate meals and snacks are able to be resumed safely. As a result, the following waiver elections must be confirmed routinely during the course of the 2021ā€“22 SY.

Contact Information For any questions regarding these waivers, please contact your respective programā€™s county specialist. The county specialist for each program can be found under the following Form IDs in the CNIPS Download Forms section:

SFSPā€”Form ID SFSP 01

NSLP, SBP, and SSOā€”Form ID Caseload

CACFPā€”Form ID CACFP 01

Thank you. Nutrition Services Division California Department of Education

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More from the CACFP Roundtable

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The CACFP Roundtable is committed to fostering a community of leaders who work together to build equitable access to the Child and Adult Care Food Program and nutritious meals in care settings. Your support goes toward programs and advocacy that help us get closer to ensuring everyone has the right to nutritious meals and making the CACFP an even better Food Program for all.

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