FNS Documents & Resources

This memorandum announces a revision to the instructions for calculating average daily attendance on the Form FNS-418: Report of the Summer Food Service Program for Children.

This instruction is intended to clarify allowable variations to child nutrition program food components in order to meet religious needs among Jewish schools, institutions and sponsors. 

The purpose of this Instruction is to establish and convey policy and provide guidance and direction to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service and its recipients and customers, and ensure compliance with and enforcement of the prohibition against discrimination in all FNS nutrition programs and activities, whether federally funded in whole or not. 

This Instruction sets forth the criteria to be used to determine acceptable grains/breads, the criteria to be used to determine equivalent minimum serving sizes, and examples of foods that qualify as grains/breads for meals served under the food-based menu planning alternatives in all child nutrition programs

This Instruction outlines the policy for food substitutions and other modifications in the meal patterns necessary to meet the dietary requirements of program participants with handicaps and with other special dietary needs.

This Instruction establishes standards, principles, and guidelines to assist SAs and FNSROs in the development and maintenance of financial management systems.

The purpose of this Instruction is to clarify issues which have been raised in the past concerning the approval of child care institutions as sponsors for the Summer Food Service Program.

This Instruction sets forth the policy concerning recycling of milk and other meal components. 

This Instruction prohibits the denial of meals and milk as a disciplinary action against any child who is enrolled in a school participating in the Chile Nutrition Programs. Such denial of meals or milk is inconsistent with Section 2 and 9 of the National School Lunch Act and Sections 2,3, and 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966.

Program regulations require administering agencies (state educational, alternate or distributing agencies, or Food and Nutrition regional offices) to enter into written agreements with school food authorities or sponsoring organizations of child care facilities or summer sites which desire to participate in one or more of the Department's child nutrition programs.