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Resource | Technical Assistance & Guidance Professional Standards: Resources

These resources provide school nutrition professionals with the knowledge and tools to implement and meet the professional standards requirements within their programs.

11/03/2023
Resource | Technical Assistance & Guidance Recursos de los estándares profesionales

Los estándares profesionales son una norma que determina los requisitos anuales de capacitación y criterios de contratación para profesionales en los programas de nutrición escolar. Estas normas brindan estándares profesionales consistentes a nivel nacional y fortalecen la capacidad de los profesionales de la nutrición escolar para desempeñar sus funciones de manera eficaz y eficiente.

09/12/2023
Resource | Policy Memos Initial Site Visits in the Summer Food Service Program

This guidance memo addresses sponsors’ monitoring requirements of its sites and food service operations in the SFSP. This guidance applies to sponsors’ management responsibilities of conducting initial site visits and full reviews of food service, including visits of non-congregate rural meal sites.

SFSP 10-2023
05/30/2023
Resource | Policy Memos Guidance on Site Selection Criteria during Reviews in the SFSP

Guidance for state agencies to develop criteria for site selection for monitoring reviews in the Summer Food Service Program.

SFSP 08-2023
05/25/2023
Resource | Policy Revised Prototype Application for Free and Reduced Price School Meals

This memorandum provides information on the revised Prototype Application for Free and Reduced Price School Meals. USDA updated the prototype application to improve the user experience for applicants by adjusting the reading level, streamlining the application instructions, and by adding clarity to the mailing instructions to reduce the number of applications sent to the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights.

SP16-2023
05/11/2023
Resource | Technical Assistance & Guidance Crediting Meats/Meat Alternates in Child Nutrition Programs Tip Sheet

The Meats/Meat Alternates Tip Sheet is designed for program operators as a handy and easy-to-use reference on how to credit meats/meat alternates and incorporate them into the meal pattern requirements.

FNS-933
05/03/2023
Resource | Fact Sheets Integrating Local Foods into Child Nutrition Programs

This fact sheet, available in both English and Spanish, reviews the steps to successfully integrate local food in child nutrition programs.

03/06/2023
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
Basic page Common Questions about Returning to Normal Operations

Nationwide waivers provided flexibilities to help millions of children receive nutritious meals during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Here are some examples of common questions you may receive from parents or guardians about changes in how their children receive meals in SFSP and CACFP. 

05/11/2022
Resource | Webinars/Videos Seeding Success: Farm to School Grant Requirements

This pre-recorded webinar features USDA Farm to School Program staff, who summarize grantee reporting requirements and review the processes for submitting no-cost extensions, as well as project and budget amendments.

03/21/2022
Page updated: October 14, 2021