FNS Documents & Resources

USDA is committed to providing nutrition assistance to hard-hit families across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic. In support of President Biden’s call to action on hunger, USDA announced that it is increasing the Pandemic EBT benefit by approximately 15 percent, providing more money for low-income families and millions of children missing meals due to school and child care closures.

USDA is committed to providing nutrition assistance to hard-hit families across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic. In support of President Biden’s call to action on hunger, USDA announced that it is increasing the Pandemic EBT benefit by approximately 15 percent, providing more money for low-income families and millions of children missing meals due to school and child care closures.

This memorandum provides clarification on questions related to the collection of race or ethnicity data now that visual identification of race and ethnicity is no longer an allowable practice in the Summer Food Service Program and Child and Adult Care Food Program.

These questions and answers provide guidance for recently published transitional standards for milk, whole grains and sodium.

In an effort to make the distribution of P-EBT benefits to eligible children as efficient as possible, USDA has developed a simple P-EBT summer plan template. The template allows states to elect a USDA-determined standard benefit that relieves states of the burden of determining their own benefit levels based on state-specific school district calendars.

Pursuant to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020, and based on the exceptional circumstances of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency, FNS issued three nationwide waivers to support access to nutritious meals while minimizing potential exposure to the novel coronavirus. 

This memorandum explains the grain requirements for the CACFP established in the final rule, “Child and Adult Care Food Program: Meal Pattern Revisions Related to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.” This revision further clarifies how to determine if a grain product meets the whole grain-rich criteria. 

This memorandum provides questions and answers on the meal pattern requirements for the Child and Adult Care Food Program.  FNS collected and answered a variety of questions since the updated meal patterns were published in April 2016.

This memorandum outlines the use of offer versus serve in the adult day care and at-risk afterschool settings in the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the use of family style meals in the CACFP.