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Waiver for Noncongregate Meals During Ramadan

Nutrition Services Division

To promote nutrition security and health equity and to ensure children have access to the nutrition they need, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved the California Department of Education’s (CDE) waiver request to allow school food authorities (SFA) to offer noncongregate meals to students fasting during Ramadan. This waiver ensures access to school meals for those students consuming meals at a time that honors their religious principles.

Specifically, CDE requested a statewide waiver of the following National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) requirements for students observing Ramadan:

National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs

Noncongregate Meal Service (NSLP and SBP)

This flexibility waives the requirement to serve meals through the NSLP and SBP in a congregate setting to students who attend school and are fasting during Ramadan.

Meal Service Times (NSLP and SBP)

This flexibility waives the requirements that set mealtime parameters, allowing noncongregate school lunches and breakfasts to be served to students who attend school and are fasting during Ramadan.

Offer Versus Serve (NSLP)

This flexibility waives the requirement for senior high schools to participate in offer versus serve, allowing noncongregate school lunches to be served to students who attend school and are fasting during Ramadan.

The California Ramadan Waiver is effective February 24, 2025, through the end of Ramadan, or approximately April 11, 2025. SFAs requesting approval to use this waiver for students fasting during Ramadan will only operate noncongregate meal service under this program waiver during local Ramadan observances. To maintain program integrity, SFAs must ensure that meals are distributed only to children in attendance at the school on the day noncongregate meals are offered, and that duplicate meals are not distributed to any child. In addition, participation in the school nutrition programs is at an eligible participant’s discretion; therefore, SFAs may not deny a meal or snack to a child that is thought to be fasting during Ramadan.

To apply to use California’s Ramadan Waiver, please submit this survey.

Approvals:

If approved, you will receive an email from SNPInfo@cde.ca.gov with the subject line, Approval of Ramadan Waiver Application. This email provides approval to waive congregate feeding, mealtime, and offer versus serve requirements when serving participants fasting during Ramadan.

If you do not receive this email, contact the CDE School Nutrition Program (SNP) Team at SNPInfo@cde.ca.gov.

Effective Dates:

Flexibilities are available beginning February 24, 2025, through the end of Ramadan, or approximately April 11, 2025.

The survey should take a couple of minutes to complete. To submit this survey, you will need to answer all questions. If you have questions or technical difficulties, please contact your SNP Specialist. A list of SNP Specialists is located on the CDE School Nutrition Programs Specialist Directory. You may also email SNPinfo@cde.ca.gov.

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