We are committed to ensuring that all students have access to healthy meals that meet their needs. If your child has a special need that affects their diet, we can provide meal modifications or substitutions.

requesting special meals

To help ensure that children with disabilities have the same opportunities as other children to receive an education, federal legislation mandates that federal school nutrition programs are required to provide special dietary accommodations for these students by providing reasonable substitutions to the regular meal for children whose disabilities restrict their diets when a recognized medical authority certifies the need.

Please refer to the Accommodating Children with Special Dietary Needs (November 4, 2021) memo and the following attachments for more information:

• Attachment A (PDF) – Exchange information with the student’s Primary Care Physician
• Attachment B (PDF) – Exchange the Public Health Nursing Consultation Report and information with the Department
• Attachment C (PDF with form fillable J-1 Form) – Accommodating Children with Special Dietary Needs in School Nutrition Programs
  • J-1 Form (PDF) Fill out PART I of this form to request a meal modification for your child. Have a licensed health care professional, such as a doctor, physician’s assistant, or nurse practitioner fill out PART II of the form and then submit it to your school. For more information, please reach out to your Special Dietary Designee (SDD) at your child’s school.
  • Please see Translated Forms & Documents section below for translated J-1 Forms.

• Attachment D (PDF) – Accommodating Children with Special Dietary Needs Checklist

If you have any other questions about special diets, please email the School Food Services Branch.

Translated forms & Documents

Fill out Attachment J-1 Form for accommodating children with special dietary needs.

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:

• mail:
  U.S. Department of Agriculture
  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
  1400 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
• fax:
  (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
• email:
  [email protected]

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.