FNS Documents & Resources

The purpose of this memorandum is to implement provisions contained in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 which establish direct certification rate benchmarks for states and require continuous improvement plans from states that do not meet the benchmarks.

The interim rule, Direct Certification and Certification of Homeless, Migrant and Runaway Children for Free School Meals, was published on April 25, 2011. One of the provisions in this rule concerns the frequency of direct certification matching activities with the SNAP and is effective July 1, 2011.

The purpose of this memorandum is to implement a provision affecting mandatory direct certification for children in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program households.

A number of schools nationwide are still having difficulty obtaining the two food safety inspections required by the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. Although FNS realizes that many of the difficulties schools face are beyond their control, we would like to stress that local program operators are responsible for requesting the food safety inspections from the public health department and documenting their efforts.

This memo clarifies how the food safety inspection requirement is to be carried out by program operators on military bases, Indian reservations and Residential Child Care Institutions (RCCIs).

The purpose of this memorandum is to clarify state agency procedures for direct verification, especially concerning the use of Medicaid data.

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004  requires school districts to directly certify for free school meals any child who is a member of a household receiving assistance under the Food Stamp Program.

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 allows children to be certified as eligible for free meals under the NSLP and the SBP based on participation in other programs authorized under the Food Stamp Act of 1977, as amended. No further application by the child’s household is necessary.

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 requires that children in food stamp households be directly certified for free school meals. To prepare for the phased in implementation of mandatory direct certification, which begins for the largest school districts in July 2006 and covers all school districts by July 2008, we convened a work group on Jan. 26–27, 2005.

We have received several inquiries regarding the collection of eligibility information during a Provision 2 or Provision 3 cycle.