FNS Documents & Resources

From this page, you may download the Spanish translation of the Prototype Application for Free and Reduced Price School Meals and accompanying materials.

Pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to age 5 are eligible. They must meet income guidelines, a state residency requirement, and be individually determined to be at "nutritional risk" by a health professional.

The French translation of the Prototype Application for Free and Reduced Price School Meals and accompanying materials.

This memo is inform FNS regional offices and state agencies of the release of the 2021-22 WIC Income Eligibility Guidelines. The 2021-22 Income Eligibility Guidelines are used by state agencies in determining the income eligibility of persons applying to participate in WIC. 

School food authorities (SFAs) participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs are required to verify income for a small percentage of households approved for free or reduced price meals each school year. However, getting households to respond to verification requests can be challenging for SFA staff. If households do not respond, they lose their benefits regardless of their actual eligibility.

The manual provides comprehensive information on federal requirements, policies, and procedures, and is intended to help state agencies and local educational agencies accurately determine, certify, and verify children’s eligibility for free and reduced price school meals and free milk.

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.