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Resource | Technical Assistance & Guidance USDA School Meals: Together, We Can Give Kids a Healthier Future

For children to grow and reach their full potential, it is critical that they have access to nutritious foods and develop lifelong healthy dietary habits.

02/03/2023
Resource | Technical Assistance & Guidance | FNS-GD-2018-0001 Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs

The Food Buying Guide for child nutrition programs has all of the current information in one manual to help you and your purchasing agent buy the right amount of food and the appropriate type of food for your program(s), and determine the specific contribution each food makes toward the meal pattern requirements.

07/11/2022
Resource | Comment Request Comment Request: Study of Nutrition and Activity in Child Care Settings

This study will collect a broad range of data from a nationally representative sample of sponsors, directors, food preparers and/or provider staff of childcare centers, family day care home and after-school programs that participate in CACFP and those that do not participate in the program, and from the children and parents of children receiving care from CACFP childcare centers, family day care homes, and after-school programs during 2015-2016. 

03/23/2016
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2015-0026 Voluntary Menu Labeling in the NSLP and SBP

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published the final rule, Nutrition Labeling of Standard Menu Items in Restaurants and Similar Retail Food Establishments in the Federal Register (79 FR 71155) on Dec. 1, 2014.

05/19/2015
Resource | Flyers Before/After Elementary School Lunch Menu

Before/After Elementary School Lunch Menu

08/27/2012
Resource | Technical Assistance Directions for Menu Worksheet

FNS menu worksheet is a tool designed to assist school food authorities in demonstrating that each of the menus meets the new meal pattern for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.

08/02/2012
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2011-0064 Verification and Reporting of Foster Children

This memorandum is to provide guidance on the verification process and reporting for categorically eligible foster children

SP02-2012
10/24/2011
Resource | Proposed Rule Proposed Rule: Incorporating the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Into the Proposed School Meal Patterns

This document informs the public about a change in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans that affects the proposed rule "Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs'' issued by the Department of Agriculture and published in the Federal Register on Jan. 13, 2011.

03/21/2011
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2010-0016 Categorical Eligibility: Temporary Assistance to Needy Families

This is a reminder of the statutory and regulatory requirements for categorical eligibility for the Child Nutrition Programs based on receipt of benefits from each state’s Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program. The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act restricts categorical eligibility to those TANF programs with standards that are comparable to or more restrictive than those in effect on June 1, 1995.

SP22 CACFP10 SFSP08-2010
04/19/2010
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2009-0054 Extending Categorical Eligibility to Additional Children in a Household

This memorandum modifies the policy related to categorical eligibility for free meals or free milk for children who are members of a household receiving assistance under SNAP, the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations or the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Program.

SP38 CACFP08 SFSP07-2009
08/27/2009
Page updated: October 14, 2021