FNS Documents & Resources

This memorandum details guidance on the annual Community Eligibility Provision notification and publication requirements and provides information on the USDA-developed reporting template.

The purpose of this memorandum is to revise guidance on the use of school and census data to establish area eligibility in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, the At-Risk Afterschool component of CACFP, the Summer Food Service Program, and the Seamless Summer Option of the National School Lunch Program.

This final rule establishes requirements for state agencies, local educational agencies, and schools operating the Community Eligibility Provision, a reimbursement option that allows the service of school meals to all children at no-cost in high poverty schools without collecting household applications.

This legislation directs USDA to carry out annual national performance assessments of the School Breakfast Program and the National School Lunch Programs.

The CEP Characteristics Study will include surveys of nationally representative samples of participating and eligible non-participating LEAs to obtain updated information on the characteristics of participating and non-participating districts and schools. 

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection. This is a new collection for the Community Eligibility Provision Characteristics Study.

One important goal of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 is to ensure that children have access to the nutrition they need to grow into healthy adults.

The Departments of Agriculture, Education and Health and Human Services issued a tri-agency letter outlining the categorical eligibility of children and youth in foster care for free school meals.

This memorandum notifies state agencies and local program operators of recently updated rules issued by the Federal Communications Commission regarding the calculation of discount rates under the E-Rate program for schools electing the Community Eligibility Provision.

Recently, we have received several questions about the use of funds from the nonprofit school food service account to cover expenditures related to farm to school activities and school gardens. The questions and answers below address specific scenarios that school food authorities may be dealing with when considering the allowability of such costs.