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Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2020-0109

State Guidance on Coronavirus P-EBT

USDA is committed to providing nutrition assistance to hard-hit families across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic. In support of President Biden’s call to action on hunger, USDA announced that it is increasing the Pandemic EBT benefit by approximately 15 percent, providing more money for low-income families and millions of children missing meals due to school and child care closures.

Resource | Research, Analysis & Background | Assessing/Improving Operations

Child Nutrition Program Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic, March Through September 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted in-person education and childcare services, and therefore child nutrition program operations, in spring 2020. In response, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act  gave FNS authority to issue nationwide waivers of CN program requirements. This data collection fulfills states’ reporting requirements and describes trends in program participation during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, March through September 2020. It is part of an ongoing study series examining CN program operations, repurposed to collect waiver reports from all states.

Resource | Toolkits

Tools for Schools

Tools for Schools offers topic-specific policy and resource materials to assist schools in meeting the new nutrition standards. Refer to the latest regulations, find free nutrition education curricula, or get ideas for adding tasty, kid-friendly foods to enhance your school meals program.

Resource | Data

Child Nutrition Tables

Resource | Technical Assistance & Guidance

Food Safety COVID-19 Resources

Learn more about COVID-19 food safety resources available to FNS program operators including new resources for school nutrition professionals from the Institute of Child Nutrition. 

Resource | Technical Assistance

School Meals Application Materials in Spanish

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

Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2017-0024

Revised Prototype Free and Reduced Price Application for SY 2017-2018

Attached to this memorandum, please find a revised edition of the Prototype Application for Free and Reduced Price School Meals, with an accompanying instructions document. These materials may be adapted for direct use by state and local agencies, or as a reference for designing an effective application packet that meets all statutory and regulatory requirements. 

SP28-2017
Basic page

Applying for Free and Reduced Price School Meals

USDA offers prototypes of school meal applications, as well as sample instructional documents intended to assist state and local officials in the design and distribution of their own application materials.

Resource | Policy

Revised Prototype Application for Free and Reduced Price School Meals

This memorandum provides information on the revised Prototype Application for Free and Reduced Price School Meals. USDA updated the prototype application to improve the user experience for applicants by adjusting the reading level, streamlining the application instructions, and by adding clarity to the mailing instructions to reduce the number of applications sent to the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights.

SP16-2023
Resource | Federal Register Documents

Generic Clearance for Stakeholder Feedback and Surveys as Part of FNS Planning

The purpose of this new collection is to collect qualitative and quantitative stakeholder feedback through meetings, focus groups, interviews, other stakeholder interactions and surveys, as well as requests for administrative data, as part of the planning process for FNS regulatory actions, the semi-annual regulatory agenda, research studies, outreach, training and the development of guidance.