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School and Community Nutrition Programs

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Welcome!

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The Virginia Department of Education, Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs (VDOE-SCNP) is committed to ensuring that every Virginia student has access to freshly prepared, nutritious, locally sourced, and culturally-inclusive meals. Studies show that well-nourished students are better prepared to learn, and schools and community organizations help to provide a healthy environment through nutritious meals, healthy snacks, and opportunities for physical and nutrition education.

News & Announcements

NEW! Community Eligibility Provision Toolkit

The VDOE-SCNP created a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) toolkit to provide information and resources about the CEP option to all eligible school divisions participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP). This toolkit is intended for nutrition directors, financial directors, superintendents, and administrators of school divisions.

#AttendanceMattersVA

Milk Supply Chain Challenges

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is aware that schools in multiple states are experiencing milk supply chain challenges. Virginia is among the states affected. Program operators are expected to meet the fluid milk requirements to the greatest extent possible. School food authorities (SFA) are encouraged to work with their suppliers to obtain alternate packaging, such as bulk packaging, shelf-stable, or plastic bottles.

If other alternatives have been exhausted, current Child Nutrition Program regulations found at 7 CFR 210.10(d)(2), 220.8(d), 225.16(f)(6), and 226.20(e)(1) may allow Program operators experiencing milk supply shortages to serve meals during an emergency period with an alternate form of fluid milk or without fluid milk. Supply chain disruptions, including disruptions that limit milk variety or affect serving size, would be considered a temporary emergency condition for purposes of this flexibility. A waiver is not required, however, documentation indicating milk supply chain issues may be asked to be provided during an Administrative Review.

Mission 

Pre-school student enjoys a nutritious lunch through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)

The VDOE-SCNP promotes, supports, and sustains Virginia’s school and community nutrition programs. These programs play a critical role in childhood food and nutrition security as well as student wellness and academic achievement. We are dedicated to serving schools, children, families, and communities through program administration, training and technical assistance, and grants and initiatives. 

Program Administration

We administer the following U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) school and community nutrition programs:

  • National School Lunch Program (NSLP),
  • School Breakfast Program (SBP),
  • Special Milk Program (SMP),
  • Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)
  • Seamless Summer Option (SSO),
  • At-Risk portion of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP),
  • Afterschool Snack Program (ASP)
  • Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP), and
  • Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (SEBT).

Training and Technical Assistance

We offer annual training events where we share policy updates, showcase best practices, and provide resources. These training opportunities include Spring and Fall Regional Director’s Meetings, Director’s Conference, New Director’s Academy, and Summer Manager’s Workshop. Topical and relevant trainings and workshops provide current applicable professional development for school and community program sponsors.

Grants and Initiatives

Cafeteria managers learning scratch-cooking methods during the Team Nutrition Readiness and Retention Training program.

We implement grant projects and initiatives that enhance our programs and create opportunities for innovations in school and community nutrition program operations.

  • Farm to School Grants: procure Virginia grown or regionally sourced foods in school meals programs benefiting students, farmers, and communities.
  • FY 21 Team Nutrition Training Grant: enhance the Virginia Harvest of the Month program through the development of standardized recipes featuring local agricultural products and accompanying nutrition education and marketing materials.
  • FY 22 Team Nutrition Training Grant: develop and implement a comprehensive training program for school nutrition directors and cafeteria managers to assist school divisions in meeting the Transitional Nutrition Standards. 
  • Virginia Food for Virginia Kids Initiative: increase locally procured, scratch-made, culturally inclusive meals throughout the Commonwealth through training with the Chef Ann Foundation and workforce development opportunities.

Impact

During school year 2022-2023, school and community nutrition programs in Virginia served more than:

  • 62 million breakfasts through the SBP,
  • 113 million lunches through the NSLP,
  • 4.8 million snacks and suppers through the At-Risk CACFP, and
  • 3.0 million meals through the SSO and SFSP.

School and Community Nutrition Calendar

Go to the School and Community Nutrition Programs Calendar for information about upcoming training opportunities, webinars, conferences, and other VDOE-SCNP events.

Tell Us about Your School Nutrition Events!

Please complete the Virginia School and Community Nutrition Events Form to share all nutrition-related events, awards, and recognitions happening in your school division.

USDA Non-Discrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

  1. mail:
    U.S. Department of Agriculture
    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
    1400 Independence Avenue, SW
    Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

  2. fax:
    (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

  3. email:
    program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.