FNS Documents & Resources

The purpose of this memorandum is to clarify state agency procedures for direct verification, especially concerning the use of Medicaid data.

FNS published an interim rule, “Child and Adult Care Food Program; Improving Management and Program Integrity" that explains a provision in that rule requiring state agencies that administer the CACFP to share information with state agencies that administer the Food Stamp Program

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 amended sections of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act affecting the eligibility determination process for free and reduced price benefits under the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program and the Special Milk Program for Children.

As described in our Reauthorization Implementation Memo SP 4, Categorical Eligibility for Free Lunches and Breakfasts of Runaway, Homeless, and Migrant Youth,  runaway youth served through grant programs established under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act are now categorically eligible for free meals in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.

This memorandum supplements our Reauthorization Implementation Memo SP 4 by providing additional information on identifying migrant children and on the procedures that school food authorities and local education agencies should use to coordinate with the Migrant Education Program in order to document the categorical eligibility of migrant children for free meals.

Section 107 of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 amended the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to make runaway, homeless and migrant children categorically eligible for free meal benefits under the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs and is effective July 1, 2004.

We are providing guidance in a question and qnswer format to capture the questions we have already answered informally, as well as other questions we will be responding to for the first time.

We have received a request to allow states to consider Upward Bound sites to be categorically eligible to participate in the SFSP based on the eligibility criteria for the Upward Bound program.

This memorandum permits sponsors to consider children 18 years of age and younger who participate in the Job Training Partnership Act  program as categorically eligible for the Summer Food Service Program.

This memorandum extends this categorical eligibility provision to the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, the Special Milk Program for Children, and closed enrolled sites in the Summer Food Service Program.