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Resource | Technical Assistance & Guidance CEP Planning and Implementation Guidance

A final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Community Eligibility Provision-Increasing Options for Schools (88 FR 65778), was published on Sept. 26, 2023, with an effective date of Oct. 26, 2023, that established the 25 percent minimum ISP threshold.  As a result, more students, households, and schools have the opportunity to experience CEP’s benefits, such as increasing access to school meals at no cost, eliminating unpaid meal charges, minimizing stigma, and streamlining meal service operations.

02/12/2024
Resource | Policy Memos Revised: Crediting Tofu and Soy Yogurt Products in the School Meal Programs, CACFP, and SFSP

This memorandum provides updated guidance on crediting tofu and soy yogurt products in the Child and Adult Care Food Program and extends previous guidance on crediting tofu and soy yogurt products to the Summer Food Service Program, as well as to the infant meal pattern in the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

SP 02-2024, CACFP 02-2024, SFSP 02-2024
11/29/2023
Resource | Policy Memos Procuring Local Meat, Poultry, Game and Eggs for Child Nutrition Programs

Recently, FNS has received a number of questions related to buying local meat, poultry, game, and eggs; this memorandum seeks to clarify the regulatory requirements related to food safety and answer specific questions related to these products with a series of questions and answers.

SP 01,CACFP 01, SFSP 01-2016
11/20/2023
Resource | Technical Assistance & Guidance I Speak Statements Card

The "I Speak" resource document is available to help identify the primary language of non-English speakers. 

08/10/2023
Resource | Infographics Stronger with School Meals Educational Materials

School meals, and the school nutrition professionals that provide them, help children be strong physically and mentally. Celebrate the school community and promote healthy foods with these fun new school meals materials.

08/04/2023
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 | Fact Sheets Professional Standards Summary of Updates Flyer

The Professional Standards Summary of Updates flyer provides an overview of the professional standards requirements which consist of hiring standards and annual training requirements for state directors of school nutrition programs, state director of distributing agencies, school nutrition program directors, managers, and staff.

FNS-486A
03/24/2023
Resource | Fact Sheets Boletín de resumen de las actualizaciones de los estándares profesionales

El boletín de resumen de las actualizaciones de los estándares profesionales proporciona un informe acerca de los requisitos de los estándares profesionales e incluye los criterios de contratación y los requisitos de capacitación anual para directores estatales de programas de nutrición escolar, directores estatales de agencias distribuidoras, directores de programas de nutrición escolar, gerentes y personal.

FNS-486A-S
03/23/2023
Resource | Policy Memos Rural Designations in the Summer Meal Programs - Revised

The purpose of this memorandum is to revise guidance on rural designations in the Summer Food Service Program and the National School Lunch Program’s Seamless Summer Option (SSO). The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 authorized a permanent non-congregate meal service option through the SFSP and SSO for children who live in rural communities with no congregate meal service. This memorandum supersedes SFSP policy memorandum SFSP 17-2015, Rural Designations in the Summer Food Service Program – Revised, April 21, 2017.

SFSP 04-2024, SP 06-2024
03/06/2023
Resource | Nutrition Education Celebrating School Breakfast 

We encourage our partners, schools and the community to share these graphics and messages on their social media platforms to help spread the word about the benefits of school breakfast.

03/02/2023
Page updated: October 14, 2021