WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is making sure all students who need food will still be able to eat as the coronavirus pandemic continues to keep kids out of school buildings.
The department recently announced that it will allow children to be able to get free meals through the rest of the school year.
The government had extended the free meal program through the end of December. Some of the rules allowed schools and other programs to use the Summer Food Service Program and Seamless Summer Option to give no-cost meals to children at more than 90,000 locations across the country.
The adjustments also allow meals to be served outside of normal group settings and outside of normal meal times.
Parents or guardians are allowed to pick up the meals in accordance with the flexibility under the program, USDA officials said.
When the pandemic first started, the USDA used its summer feeding program to adapt to the education changes that came with social distancing and quarantine regulations.
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