FNS Documents & Resources

Section 10 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (CNA), as amended, permits the Secretary to authorize any state or regional office, where applicable, to reserve up to 1 percent of the funds earned in any fiscal year under both the National School Lunch Act and the CNA for special developmental projects.

Section 17(h)(1)(D) of the National School Lunch Act and program regulations require that commodities be made available to all institutions expressing a preference for them unless the appropriate Food and Nutrition Service regional office approves the state agency's request for a complete cashout of commodities.

A number of questions have been raised to this office concerning inordinate delays in scheduling appointments at local WIC agencies, and how to set up waiting lists for appointments when the local agency's resource limitations make it necessary to do so.

This Instruction establishes CACFP policy governing the monthly reconciliation of claims submitted by family day care home providers to sponsoring organizations.

The purpose of this Instruction is to clarify issues which have been raised in the past concerning the approval of child care institutions as sponsors for the Summer Food Service Program.

This Instruction establishes policy for temporary emergency residential care in family day care homes under the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).

This Instruction clarifies two issues concerning the staff-child ratios established for child care centers and outside-school-hours care centers in the CACFP regulations (226.6(d)(2)): (1) Are staff-child ratios based on actual attendance or on enrollment; and (2) When children from various age groups are in attendance, how is the necessary minimum number of staff members determined?

This Instruction provides clarification of the standards used for determining the independence of the review officer who will conduct the institution appeal procedure. Section 226.6(k) sets such standards.

Section 226.15(c) of the Child and Adult Care Food Program regulations requires that all institutions accept final administrative and financial responsibility for their operations under the Program. The provision also stipulates that, "...no institution may contract out for the management of the Program."

This Instruction is intended to clarify the policy concerning classifying applicants in the CACFP. The classification of certain center programs as either independent centers or sponsoring organization/sponsored center(s) should be made from the program administrative information contained on the Application for Participation and Management Plan for Sponsoring Organizations.