CafeTerias, Inc.

The Local Wellness Policy is important because it:

• Reaches beyond USDA-funded meal programs to influence children's health
  
• Acknowledges local community responsibility to support or build on government efforts
  
• Provides an opportunity for school districts to create an environment conducive to healthy lifestyle choices

• Recognizes the critical role of schools in curbing the epidemic of childhood overweight and obesity.

A local wellness policy for schools shall, at a minimum:

• Include goals for nutrition education, physical activity and other school- based activities that are designed to promote student wellness in a manner that the local educational agency determines is appropriate;
  
• Include nutrition guidelines selected by the local educational agency for all foods available on each school campus under the local educational agency during the school day with the objectives of promoting student health and reducing childhood obesity;
  
• Provide an assurance that guidelines for reimbursable school meals shall not be less restrictive than regulations and guidance issued by the Secretary of Agriculture pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of section 10 of the Child Nutrition Act (42 U.S.C. 1779) and section 9(f)(1) and 17(a) of the Richard B Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(f)(1), 1766(a)0, as those regulations and guidance apply to schools;
  
• Establish a plan for measuring implementation of the local wellness policy, including designation of 1 or more persons within the local educational agency or at each school, as appropriate, charged with operational responsibility for ensuring that the school meets the local wellness policy; and
  
• Involve parents, students, and representatives of the school food authority, the school board, school administrators, and the public in the development of the school wellness policy.

Districts must establish local wellness policies by the beginning of School Year 2006-2007, but local wellness policies are an ongoing project. They should be continuously implemented, evaluated, and updated.

Yes, they are. FNS is aware that the people involved in developing the wellness policy might be different than those specified in the law and/or used by a school district. For example, in certain RCCIs, it may be impossible to include a parent with the list of people specified in the law for development of a local wellness policy. Because of the responsibility the RCCI has in providing nutrition and physical activity to children in residence, FNS believes it is important for each RCCI to address wellness policies that will affect the health and development of its residents. It is therefore expected that the RCCI will individualize the wellness policy to meet the unique needs of its institution.

No. Schools within the LEA that do not participate in any of the school meals programs are not legally required to be bound by the LEA's local wellness policies. However, for consistency, FNS feels that most LEAs will require schools to follow the district policy.

Yes. Any school that participates in a program authorized under the National School Lunch Act or the Child Nutrition Act must develop a local wellness policy as specified in the Section 204 of the Public Law 108-265, the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004.

Private schools or charter schools may develop their own wellness policy or, as in the case of parochial schools, the governing board could develop one for all their schools. A private school could also adopt the wellness policy of the local educational agency.

Yes. Schools that participate in the SMP must have a wellness policy. Considering the special circumstances for schools that only participated in the Special Milk Program, these schools may want to consider adopting a wellness policy developed by a local educational agency.