CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Good luck getting a popular brand peanut butter and jelly sandwich these days in the world of school-based child nutrition.
As school children and their families receive meals through their county school systems during the coronavirus school shutdown there’s not a shortage of food but some the ready-made items are few and far between.
State Department of Education Office of Child Nutrition Executive Director Amanda Harrison said counties are being creative.
“Some of the products that we would ordinarily be getting, we’re now starting to evaluate some options we have,” Harrison told MetroNews Monday.
The coronavirus has changed the usually predictable world of school-based child nutrition. Harrison said you usually know what food is available at what time and school menus are set weeks in advance. It’s not that easy these days.
“The word of child nutrition is typically regulated, thought out and predictable and we operate within a finite set of rules and regulations and so this is challenging all of us beyond our comfort zones to ensure that kids get fed,” Harrison said.
Counties are feeding kids and they are doing so in different ways. Some are taking school buses out once a week and delivering five breakfast meals and five lunches at one time. Others have pick-up available at various sites while other are working with local vendors who are helping them manage their efforts. Harrison said it’s working but not without some adjustments.
“So this is definitely challenging and pushing counties to reevaluate their assets and get creative with their menuing options,” Harrison said.
Counties are ordering food from the same vendors. They are just putting orders in earlier than normal. The state Department of Agriculture is also playing a role in providing food.
The state did receive a key waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Monday that Harrison said allows for open nutrition sites.
“If folks were able to get to a (feeding) site that’s a little bit closer to their home (they could). It’s just an additional layer that allows us to be in compliance with the federal regulations and rules but allows for some flexibility when it comes to how we operate the program,” Harrison said.
But how about that popular PB&J sandwich?
“I know that’s just one product that our schools would say, ‘Wow, that would be great if we could get more of those,'” Harrison said. “But you would be hard-pressed to even find those in the grocery store right now.”