C02 Notification to Regional Offices

APPENDIX C02. NOTIFICATION TO REGIONAL OFFICES

Note for reviewers: This document does not contain a disclosure statement and is not in the burden table, as there is no burden associated with a request to federal staff.

OMB Number: 0584-xxxx
Expiration Date: xx/xx/20xx

Dear [FNS Regional Office Liaison],

The 2024–2025 National School Foods Study is underway! FNS has selected Mathematica, Decision Information Resources, and ProTeam Foodservice Advisors to lead the study efforts for this project.

Regional support has shown to be absolutely critical in the OPS research efforts, which is why I am asking for your help as a study liaison. We need you to contact the State Child Nutrition (CN) Directors in the selected States in your region: you will describe the study, inform them that SFAs within their States have been selected, and encourage their support of the study in these SFAs. We would also like you to let the State CN Directors know that they will be contacted by a study representative in the coming weeks who will provide them with additional information about the study and directly enlist their support. To simplify, I have attached a copy of the study overview with this email, [IF WESTERN, MID-ATLANTIC, OR NORTHEAST REGIONAL OFFICE:, as well the study objectives and overview for the outlying areas,] as well as sample language for you to use as you reach to the State CN Directors. The attached spreadsheet identifies the States and SFAs in your Region that are included in the sample.

This study (often thought to be our most important) will (1) describe the food and nutrient content and overall nutritional quality of school meals and afterschool snacks, (2) update information on the school food environment and food service policies and practices, (3) estimate the cost to produce school meals and snacks, (4) collect information about student participation, satisfaction, and dietary intake, (5) collect data on food purchases (quantity, type, value) made by SFAs to understand the composition of the school food market basket, purchasing practices, and relative costs, and (6) collect information about the FFVP. We will collect updated information from States, School Food Authorities, schools, parents, and children on the school meal programs. These data have not been collected in over 10 years and is critical to informing current and future program and policy decisions, affecting your schools and student lunches. The study will also estimate the cost of producing reimbursable meals in outlying areas, including Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Thank you in advance for your assistance with this important study. If you have questions about the study, please feel free to respond to this email.

Very best,

Ashley Chaifetz

Senior Analyst, CN Research and Analysis Division, Office of Policy Support

Attachments: Selected States/SFAs; Study OVERVIEW; [WESTERN, MID-ATLANTIC, OR NORTHEAST REGIONAL OFFICE: OA Overview]; SAMPLE NOTIFICATION EMAIL TEXT