FNS Documents & Resources

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.

The interim rule entitled Direct Certification and Certification of Homeless, Migrant and Runaway Children for Free School Meals was published on April 25, 2011.

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.

The Food and Nutrition Service published a final rule entitled, National School Lunch Program: Direct Certification Continuous Improvement Plans Required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, on Feb. 22, 2013.

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.

This rule amends the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) regulations to incorporate provisions of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 designed to encourage states to improve direct certification efforts with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide guidance regarding the rounding procedures to be used when determining the total resources and net monthly income of FDPIR applicant households.

This memorandum provides clarification regarding payments made to individuals under PL 101-426, the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, as amended. Those payments shall not be counted as income or resources for the purpose of determining eligibility for participation in FDPIR.

The purpose of this memo is to highlight previously issued guidance on the disclosure of eligibility information between child nutrition programs, and to offer clarification on the application of this policy.