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Resource | Technical Assistance & Guidance National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program Demonstration Projects to Evaluate Direct Certification with Medicaid

FNS is conducting additional demonstration projects to expand the evaluation of direct certification with Medicaid for both free and reduced price meal eligibility in NSLP and SBP.

11/09/2023
Resource | Technical Assistance & Guidance Community Eligibility Provision Resource Center

The CEP resource center provides extensive resources for parents, teachers, and school officials at the local, state and Federal level to better understand CEP and its positive benefits, along with useful tools to help facilitate successful implementation of the provision in your school!

10/12/2023
Resource | Technical Assistance & Guidance USDA Secretary Vilsack Letter to States for SY 2022-23

Letter to states from the USDA Secretary to encourage you to help schools in your state keep kids fed despite ongoing challenges associated with the pandemic, ongoing supply chain issues, and labor shortages.

09/02/2022
Resource | FAQs/Q&As | FNS-GD-2019-0007 School Meals FAQs

School meals are required to meet specific nutrition standards to operate the school meals programs. The standards align school meals with the latest nutrition science and the real world circumstances of America’s schools. 

02/27/2019
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2017-0049 2018 Direct Certification Improvement Grant RFA

The fiscal year 2018 Direct Certification Improvement Grant Request for Applications are available to state agencies that administer the National School Lunch and the School Breakfast programs to fund the costs of improving your direct certification rates with SNAP, and other needs-based assistance programs.

SP41-2017
08/15/2017
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2013-0088 Attachments to SP12-2014: RFA for Participation in Demonstration Projects to Evaluate Direct Certification with Medicaid in SY 2014-15

FNS invites state agencies that administer the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program to apply to participate in demonstration projects that will evaluate the effectiveness of conducting direct certification with the Medicaid program.

12/06/2013
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2013-0069 Transmittal of Q&As on Computation of Direct Certification Performance Rate with SNAP

The attached Q&As are issued in follow-up to Policy Memorandum SP 50-2013, Release of the new state agency Direct Certification Rate Data Element Report.

SP54-2013
08/16/2013
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2013-0058 Release of the New State Agency Direct Certification Rate Data Element Report (Form FNS-834)

The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 and the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, as amended by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010  require that children living in households receiving assistance under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program be directly certified for free school meals under the National School Lunch Program and/or the School Breakfast Program.

SP50-2013
07/01/2013
Resource | Grants Direct Certification Grants Program Proposal Response Guidance

Appendix E: Direct Certification Grants Program Proposal Response Guidance. The purpose of the Direct Certification Grants Program Proposal Response Guidance is to increase the consistency and understanding of program planning prior to grant award.

06/11/2013
Resource | Technical Assistance Performance Based Certification: Prototype Performance Work Statement, Performance Metrics, Evaluation Factors and Market Research Questionnaire Response

Attached for your use is a prototype Performance Work Statement, Evaluation Criteria and Performance Metrics document to assist state agencies that wish to procure a contract(s) to perform the performance-based reimbursement certification and other training activities to support the Certification of Compliance With Meal Requirements for the National School Lunch Program Under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 Interim Rule and the new meal pattern final rule.

05/16/2012
Page updated: October 14, 2021