FNS Documents & Resources

This rule finalizes changes to eligibility determinations for free and reduced price school meals to implement nondiscretionary provisions of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004.

This memorandum provides updated questions and answers to the Child Nutrition Reauthorization 2010 implementation memorandum SP 39-2011, Guidance on Paid Lunch Equity and Revenue from Nonprogram Foods.

This memorandum responds to questions received from regional offices, state agencies and local educational agencies (LEAs) regarding applications for free and reduced price school meals that request the applicant to provide information that is not required for a student’s certification of eligibility for child nutrition programs.

This Notice announces the annual adjustments to 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; to 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 to 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.

On March 29, 2011 the Food and Nutrition Service issued child nutrition policy memorandum SP25-2011, CACFP14-2011, SFSP09-2011 addressing implementation of Section 361, Full Use of Federal Funds, of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (the Act). That memorandum provided state agencies with a fact sheet of FAQs to support state administration of the CN programs such as administrative oversight, compliance, and technical assistance.

This rule amends the regulations affecting the determination of children's eligibility for free meals under the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program by direct certification and categorical eligibility. Conforming changes and miscellaneous technical changes are also made, as appropriate, for the Special Milk Program for Children, the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Summer Food Service Program.

Effective Oct.1, 2008, institutions receiving funds through the child nutrition programs may apply an optional geographic preference in the procurement of unprocessed locally grown or locally raised agricultural products.

On February 18, 2011, FNS issued child nutrition memorandum SP20 CACFP10 SFSP07-2011 addressing implementation of Section 361 of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, Full Use of Federal Funds.

This document informs the public about a change in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans that affects the proposed rule "Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs'' issued by the Department of Agriculture and published in the Federal Register on Jan. 13, 2011.

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide Q&As on the application of the geographic preference option in procurement of unprocessed locally grown or locally raised agricultural products.