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This memorandum contains guidance to help administer the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) School Breakfast Program (SBP) and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) in preschool and pre-kindergarten (pre-K) programs in Massachusetts.
USDA regulations at 7 CFR 210.2 include preschool and pre-K programs among the "schools" in which the NSLP and SBP must be administered. Additionally, Massachusetts, G.L. c. 69, §1C requires, "all schools providing school lunch as provided in the National School Lunch Act (NSLA), as amended, or school breakfast as provided in the National Child Nutrition Act, as amended, to make breakfast and lunch available at no charge to each attending student regardless of household income."
The USDA and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Food and Nutrition Programs (FNP) recognize that preschool and pre-K students require special consideration for meal service. With this guidance, FNP aims to provide additional clarification and resources to support safe and healthy SBP and NSLP meal service in full and half-day preschool and pre-K programs in Massachusetts.
Preschool and pre-K students who are enrolled in a full day must be offered both breakfast and lunch. For students who attend a partial day program, schools should, to the extent practical, provide breakfast for morning session students and lunch for afternoon session students.
Given the special considerations necessary to serve preschool and pre-K age students, FNP encourages school districts to review the resources described below to ensure meals served to these students are safe and appropriate for this young age group.
The NSLP meal pattern requirements for serving preschool and pre-K age students (7CFR 210.10(p)) are aligned with the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) regulations at 7CFR 226.20.
Meal Pattern Requirements: Program operators serving preschool and pre-K students need to be aware of the differences in the meal pattern for breakfast and lunch. Some important differences include smaller portion sizes, no flavored milk, and all five components must be served for a reimbursable meal; serve only instead of offer versus serve. Program operators should offer breakfast and lunch during times when preschool and pre-K students are not co-mingled with older students in grades K–5.
Choking Hazards: Students under the age of four (4) are at high risk of choking while eating, and choking is a leading cause of unintended injury for this age group. FNP requires all program operators serving preschool and pre-K students to eliminate choking hazards from their menus for all students under 4 years.
Family Style Meal Service: Preschool and pre-K programs often incorporate the meal service as part of the curriculum and utilize a family style meal service to develop motor skills, social/emotional learning, and healthy eating habits. Claiming meals using a family style meal service requires special training and consideration to understand proper counting and claiming of school meals.
FNP is available to answer your questions and provide technical assistance at nutrition@doe.mass.edu or 781-338-6480.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.