We have received several inquiries regarding the collection of eligibility information during a Provision 2 or Provision 3 cycle.
The National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program are central parts of a national policy designed to safeguard the nutritional well-being of the Nation’s children. Despite the progress that has been achieved over the years in enhancing the quality of school meals, results of research conducted in the early 1990s indicated that school meals, on balance, were not meeting certain key nutritional goals.
Under this proposed rule, certain afterschool care programs would earn reimbursement for snacks served which meet program requirements.
The NSLP offers free and reduced-price school meals to students from eligible households. Households with incomes at or below 130 percent of poverty are eligible for free meals, and households with incomes between 131 percent and 185 percent of poverty are eligible for reduced-price meals. Traditionally, to receive these benefits, households had to complete and submit application forms to schools or be directly certified. Direct certification, on the other hand, is a method of eligibility determination that does not require families to complete school meal applications. Instead, school officials use documentation from the local or state welfare agency that indicates that a household participates in AFDC or food stamps as the basis for certifying students for free school meals.
This proposed rule would amend the regulations for the Special Milk Program for Children, Summer Food Service Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Determination of Eligibility for Free and Reduced Price Meals and Free Milk in Schools relating to the confidentiality of information about individuals who receive free and reduced price meals and free milk.
This notice announces the value of donated foods or, where applicable, cash in lieu thereof, to be provided in the 2001 school year for each lunch served by schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or by commodity only schools and for each lunch and supper served by institutions participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
This notice announces the Department's annual adjustments to the Income Eligibility Guidelines to be used in determining eligibility for free and reduced price meals or free milk for the period from July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2001.
This notice announces the annual adjustments to: (1) The "national average payments,'' the amount of money the Federal Government provides States for lunches, afterschool snacks and breakfasts served to children participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs; (2) the "maximum reimbursement rates,'' the maximum per lunch rate from Federal funds that a State can provide a school food authority for lunches served to children participating in the National School Lunch Program; and (3) the rate of reimbursement for a half-pint of milk served to non-needy children in a school or institution which participates in the Special Milk Program for Children.
This interim rule addresses the use of products or dishes containing more than 30 parts fully hydrated vegetable protein products to less than 70 parts beef, pork, poultry or seafood in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.
This final rule also adds a method that allows schools to use “any reasonable approach” to plan menus.