Subscriber Updates

Did you know there’s a way for children in Medicaid households to be automatically eligible for free and reduced price school meals without their families completing another application? It’s called the Direct Certification with Medicaid Demonstration Project and USDA recently opened applications for more states to participate.  

Applications are now open for the School Food Systems Transformation Challenge Sub-Grants, which is part of USDA’s Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative.  

FNS understands the unique challenges faced by smaller, independent grocery stores interested in offering SNAP online purchasing. That’s why we are excited to share the SNAP EBT Modernization Technical Assistance Center, also known as SEMTAC, a valuable resource to help retailers get set up for SNAP online purchasing. 

FNS published a final rule on program integrity to ensure that child nutrition programs are properly operated and managed to protect federal funds and taxpayer dollars.

USDA will hold a five-day consultation series, “USDA Tribal Consultations on Barriers/Equity: Annual Progress Report & Feedback for Next Steps,” virtually April 24-May 1, 2023. 

USDA FNS invites tribes to apply for a second round of FDPIR Self-Determination Demonstration Projects. Through these projects, tribes administering the FDPIR can enter into self-determination contracts with USDA to directly purchase food for the FDPIR food packages distributed to their tribe.

FNS announced a $20 million cooperative agreement opportunity for an academic or nonprofit organization to improve participation and retention in the WIC program.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, America’s school nutrition professionals have overcome extraordinary challenges to ensure children’s access to nutritious meals. USDA continues to work in close partnership with schools and states to provide them with the tools, resources, and flexibilities they need to tackle those challenges and get nutritious meals to every child despite changing and unpredictable circumstances.

Today, USDA has taken action to withdraw its previously proposed rule, Revision of Categorical Eligibility in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

In line with USDA’s unwavering promise to serve America’s children well through school meal programs, the department today announced it will publish a proposed rule maintaining flexibility for schools to serve tasty meals their kids will be eager to eat. These proposed changes respond directly to the needs of nutrition professionals who are the experts on-the-ground, hearing from our children every day. 

USDA today announced it is extending the deadline for the public to comment on a pair of proposed rules on school and summer meals reforms. USDA is providing additional time to ensure those who wish to provide input do not miss out on the opportunity while dealing with the impacts of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. 

As part of USDA’s continuing collaboration with its state partners to enhance customer service while maintaining program integrity in SNAP, FNS is expanding the work that vendors and private staff/contractors can do at SNAP call centers—ending the constraint that only state agency employees may handle certain tasks.

USDA’s WIC program is a critical resource in ensuring a strong nutritional foundation for participants. Today, USDA is taking a step to gather additional information on ways to improve and maximize usage of a key tool we provide our state partners through the release of a Request for Information on the WIC National Universal Product Code Database. 

Under current rules, children are throwing 25 percent of nutrients straight into the trash can. USDA has announced a proposal to increase flexibility and decrease administrative burden for local districts, while continuing to ensure that children receive wholesome, nourishing meals they want to eat.

USDA will publish in the Federal Register a proposed rule, “Streamlining Program Requirements and Improving Integrity in the Summer Food Service Program,” providing flexibilities that will allow local SFSP operators to spend more time serving children wholesome meals and less time mired in red tape. 

Reflecting the responsibility that USDA’s FNS shares with state SNAP agencies to operate the program with integrity, today the agency released an updated edition of its Keys to Payment Accuracy information resources.

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is a federal program that helps supplement the diets of low-income Americans by providing them with emergency food assistance at no cost through food banks and pantries. In recent years, a number of states have recognized the value of supporting donations from local farmers to their food bank networks – commonly known as Farm to Food Bank Projects.  

Customer service is a priority for this Department and taking stakeholder input seriously is an integral part of ensuring optimal service is delivered. Today’s final rule adjusting timelines for the Child and Adult Care Food Program requirements is the latest example of this.

USDA today announced $5 million for investments in customer service projects to improve and modernize application processing in SNAP.  

Technological advances are streamlining industries across the globe. To make use of these innovations for program participants, USDA today announced the award of an $8.5 million cooperative agreement with Tufts University to test and evaluate the use of telehealth innovations in delivery of USDA’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children.