FNS Documents & Resources

FNS is granting a waiver of certain fiscal action requirements in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. This waiver is available for any state where there is a supply chain disruption with respect to foods served under such a qualified program and such disruption is due to COVID–19.

The purpose of this CMCS Informational Bulletin is to inform state Medicaid agencies that the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is issuing a solicitation for participation in additional demonstration projects for states to evaluate the impact of using Medicaid eligibility data to directly certify students for free and reduced price school meals.

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide funding allocation amounts for all state agencies for FY 2022; to provide information on funding requirements and deadlines; and to serve as a reminder of important program requirements.

The purpose of this memorandum is to distribute $30 million provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 to state agencies to competitively award Equipment Assistance Grants to eligible school food authorities participating in the NSLP.

Households with a child  approved to receive free or reduced price meals under the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program during the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 school year are eligible for the Federal Communication Commission’s Emergency Broadband Benefit. EBB is a federal program to help eligible families pay for internet service during the pandemic.

In an effort to make the distribution of P-EBT benefits to eligible children as efficient as possible, USDA has developed a simple P-EBT summer plan template. The template allows states to elect a USDA-determined standard benefit that relieves states of the burden of determining their own benefit levels based on state-specific school district calendars.

This waiver allows schools and at-risk afterschool care centers, regardless of their location, to claim all NSLP,  Afterschool Snack Service and Child and Adult Care Food Program At-risk Afterschool Program meals and snacks at the free rate. This waiver also allows day care homes participating in CACFP to claim all meals served to enrolled children at the tier 1 rate, regardless of their location.

FNS waives, for all states, the requirement for senior high schools to participate in offer versus serve during school year 2021-22. 

Under this waiver, National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and Child and Adult Care Food Program operators in a state with an approved waiver allowing non-congregate meal distribution during COVID–19-related operations may distribute meals to a parent or guardian to take home to their children. 

Under this waiver, NSLP, SBP, and CACFP operators in states that elect to be subject to this waiver may serve meals outside of the standard meal times.