FNS Documents & Resources

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 memo is to announce extensions of needed flexibilities for summer 2021 operations for the Summer Food Service Program, the National School Lunch Program, and the NSLP Seamless Summer Option.

FNS waives, for all states, the requirements to serve SFSP and NSLP Seamless Summer Option meals that meet the meal pattern requirements during the public health emergency due to COVID–19. This waiver extends the Nationwide Waiver to Allow Meal Pattern Flexibility in the Summer Food Service Program – Extension 7, granted on Aug. 31, 2020, that expires on Dec. 31, 2020.

This waiver extends until June 30, 2021, the Nationwide Waiver to Extend Area Eligibility Waivers – Extension 2. It applies to state agencies administrating, and local organizations operating, the SFSP and NSLP Seamless Summer Option (SSO).

This waiver extends the nationwide waiver to Allow Parents and Guardians to Pick Up Meals for Children - Extension, granted on May 14, 2020 until Sept. 30, 2020, or for the duration of summer operations, whichever is earlier. This waiver extension applies to the NSLP Seamless Summer Option and the SFSP.

This memorandum includes questions and answers for state agencies and local program operators on flexibilities available under the child nutrition programs during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 

This memorandum is providing reporting instructions for the remarks section of the FNS-10, FNS-44, and FNS-418. This collection will capture information on COVID related operations in response to the requirements of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and instructs state agencies to report the number of sites operating during the COVID-19 pandemic by applicable child nutrition program.

This memorandum provides clarification on nationwide waivers related available to all states, school food authorities and sponsoring organizations providing monitoring flexibilities in child nutrition programs during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency. 

This memorandum addresses inquiries regarding flexibility in determining the effective date of eligibility for students who are directly certified to receive free meals or free milk in the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, and the Special Milk Program.

This memorandum clarifies the flexibility available to local educational agency officials for establishing the effective date of eligibility for children certified for free or reduced price meals in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs and free milk in the Special Milk Program based on household applications.