All U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Child Nutrition Programs sponsoring agencies shall comply with civil rights laws and regulations, such as the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (race, color, national origin), Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (sex), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (disability), Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (age), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 (disability).  Forms for complying with civil rights data collection of racial/ethnic data are located at the bottom of this page.

The “And Justice for All” poster includes the complete nondiscrimination statement and must be posted in a prominent place in offices, schools and other sites that administer USDA Child Nutrition Programs. Order posters from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)-Food and Nutrition Service Division. Include the name of the school food authority, CLiCS Sponsor ID, quantity and mailing address. Translated versions of "And Justice For All" poster are available for download from the USDA website. A link is provided for your convenience. Please note that USDA requires that the "And Justice for All" posters be printed on 11" x 17” paper.

The following nondiscrimination statement shall be posted and included, in full, on all sponsoring agency materials that are produced for public information, public education or public distribution:

"In accordance with Federal Law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.

"To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call toll free (866) 632-9992 (Voice). Individuals who are hearing impaired or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339; or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer."

All publications and handouts mentioning USDA Child Nutrition Programs must contain this nondiscrimination statement.  The statement should appear in a prominent place in the same size text as the rest of the document and should be available in other languages. The shorter statement "The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer" may be used if the material is too small to permit the long statement. However, the print size should be no smaller than the text of the document. Examples include letters, memos, notices, the Internet, public service announcements, menus, television, advertisements, and recruitment and outreach correspondence.

The following racial and ethnic categories are to be used for civil rights data collection and reporting:

Racial Categories
Black or African American - A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. Terms such as "Haitian" can be used in addition to "Black or African American."
Asian - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.
American Indian or Alaskan Native - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment.
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.
White - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.

Ethnic Categories
Hispanic or Latino - A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
Non-Hispanic/Latino - All other persons not included in the above.
 
U.S. Department of Agriculture Memos
Links to key USDA memos on Civil Rights are provided below. For a complete set of USDA memos for Civil Rights, see Related Offsite Resources.
 

• SP 45-2012 Preventing Overt Identification of Children Approved for Free or Reduced-Price School Meals
• SP 42-2012 Application and Other Materials for Limited English Proficient Housefolds
• FNS Instruction 113-1 Civil Rights Compliance and Enforcement-Nutrition Programs and Activities.Guidance on ensuring nondiscrimination in USDA meal programs, including responsibilities, limited English proficiency, equal opportunity for religious organizations, public notification, civil rights training, data collection, complaints.

• Civil Rights Training-Note Pages – Child and Adult Care Food Program 
  Civil Rights PowerPoint slides with note pages. This document accompanies the PowerPoint presentation and is to be used by the presenter when providing Civil Rights training to staff.
• Civil Rights Training – Child and Adult Care Food Program 
  Civil Rights PowerPoint presentation that can be used by sponsors who participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program to train staff.
• Civil Rights Racial/Ethnic Data Comparison Form - Child Care Centers 
  Form to document compliance with civil rights racial/ethnic data requirements for the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
• Civil Rights Statement Compliance 
  Civil Rights statement required for USDA Child Nutrition Programs
• Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) - Racial/Ethnic Data Form 
  Form to document compliance with civil rights racial/ethnic data requirements for the Summer Food Service Program.
• Racial/Ethnic Data – Schools 
  Instructions for obtaining racial/ethnic data on students and completing an annual summary of racial/ethnic data.
• School Civil Rights Compliance Assessment Form - Schools 
  An assessment form to document compliance with civil rights racial/ethnic data requirements for school nutrition programs.
• Training Report - Civil Rights - Sponsors of Family Day Care Homes 
  Form used by Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) sponsors of homes to report their annual plan for civil rights training.