FNS Documents & Resources

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.

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.

FNS has used its authority under FFRCA to waive certain onsite monitoring requirements for the school meals programs, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the Summer Food Service Program, so that programs can to maintain program integrity and support social distancing while providing meals. 

This memorandum applies to state agencies administering the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and Child and Adult Care Food Program. This document details further instructions and administrative procedures for participation in the reimbursement program established in Sec. 722 of the Act, which makes funding available via state agencies to program operators for the purposes of covering emergency operating costs incurred during the public health emergency

This memorandum includes questions and answers intended to provide clarification on the operation of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program during implementation of alternative child nutrition program operations throughout school year 2021-22 due to the continued novel coronavirus public health emergency.

Households with a child  approved to receive free or reduced price meals under the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program during the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 school year are eligible for the Federal Communication Commission’s Emergency Broadband Benefit. EBB is a federal program to help eligible families pay for internet service during the pandemic.

This memorandum announces the release of the state agency supplemental implementation plan templates for use in the Child Nutrition Emergency Operational Costs Reimbursement Programs.

FNS is granting a nationwide waiver of the 60-day reporting requirements to help minimize potential exposure to the novel coronavirus. This waiver applies to the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program, Child and Adult Food Care Program and Summer Food Service Program.

FNS is extending a nationwide waiver to support access to nutritious meals while minimizing potential exposure to the novel coronavirus (COVID–19). This extension of Nationwide Waiver to Allow Meal Pattern Flexibility in the child nutrition programs, issued March 25, 2020, applies to the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program. This waiver remains in effect until June 30, 2020.

FNS is establishing a nationwide waiver to support the Community  Eligibility Provision while schools are responding to the novel coronavirus. The deadlines affected by this waiver include the CEP election, notification and reporting deadlines.