FNS Documents & Resources

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.

This memorandum provides notice to child nutrition program operators regarding the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, enacted on Dec. 29, 2022. 

As part of non-congregate summer meal service in rural areas, program operators may provide bulk food items that contribute to multiple meals for children

This is an ongoing, voluntary information collection which is used by FNS to update the USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse. FNS collects information about the summer meal sites from state agencies using FNS-905. This form collects the site name, location, and operating details about the summer meal sites, such as dates and times of site operation.

This webinar provides an overview of USDA child nutrition programs’ final rule, Streamlining Program Requirements and Improving Integrity in the Summer Food Service Program.

FNS is offering a suite of operational flexibilities that will be available to child nutrition programs for summer 2022 and school year 2022-23.

This rulemaking amends the SFSP regulations to strengthen program integrity by clarifying, simplifying, and streamlining program administration to facilitate compliance with program requirements. 

This agreement sets out the requirements for administering the child nutrition programs and the food distribution programs.

FNS is offering this comparison table to assist state agencies and program operators as they transition from operations under COVID-19 nationwide waivers to operations designed around their own unique circumstances.

Federal regulations require that all sponsor applications be submitted to the state agency by June 15th. States may establish earlier annual deadlines, but are encouraged to work with sponsors wishing to apply after the state’s earlier deadline.