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Resource | Policy Memos Nationwide Waivers of Child Nutrition Monitoring

FNS has used its authority under FFRCA to waive certain onsite monitoring requirements for the school meals programs, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the Summer Food Service Program, so that programs can to maintain program integrity and support social distancing while providing meals. 

11/12/2021
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2021-0111 Questions and Answers for Child Nutrition Program Reporting in SY 2021-22

This memorandum contains questions and answers intended to provide clarification to state and local agencies on child nutrition administrative reporting requirements in school year 2021-22. Topics covered include reporting of NSLP Seamless Summer Option meals and snacks reimbursed at the SFSP payment rates, as well as other COVID-19 related reporting issues.

SP21-2021
10/21/2021
Resource | Research | Assessing/Improving Operations USDA Summer Meals Study

The Summer Meals Study provides a comprehensive, nationally representative assessment of the two summer meal programs operated by USDA: the Summer Food Service Program and the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option. It is the first national study to simultaneously examine the facilitators and barriers to program participation among participating and nonparticipating families, sponsors, and sites. This study examines the characteristics of participating and nonparticipating children, including sociodemographic characteristics, household food security status, reasons for participation or nonparticipation, and satisfaction with the meals served to children in the summer of 2018. 

10/20/2021
Resource | Fact Sheets School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study: Methods Used to Estimate the Cost of Producing School Meals

This fact sheet summarizes the methods used in the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study (SNMCS) to collect, process, and analyze data to estimate the cost of producing reimbursable school meals. The methods were based on approaches used in prior USDA studies.

10/19/2021
Resource | Fact Sheets School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study: Methods Used to Examine Student Dietary Intakes

This fact sheet describes the methods used in the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study (SNMCS) to collect, process, and analyze data on students’ dietary intakes.

10/19/2021
Resource | Fact Sheets School Nutrition & Meal Cost Study: Methods Used to Examine Nutritional Characteristics of School Meals

This fact sheet describes the methods used in the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study (SNMCS) to collect, process, and analyze data to examine nutritional characteristics of school meals. 

10/19/2021
Resource | Fact Sheets School Nutrition & Meal Cost Study: Plate Waste in School Meals

This fact sheet describes the methods used in the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study (SNMCS) to collect, process, and analyze data to assess plate waste in the school meal programs.

10/19/2021
Resource | Fact Sheets School Nutrition & Meal Cost Study: Study Design & Implementation

The School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study was a comprehensive study of the school meal programs. This fact sheet provides an overview of the design and implementation of the SNMCS, including the research objectives, sample design, data collection approach, and response rates. 

10/19/2021
Resource | Federal Register Documents CACFP Meal Pattern Revisions Related to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010; Technical Amendments

On Oct. 1, 2021, the requirement to credit grains served in the CACFP in "ounce equivalents" was implemented. This action also applied to the crediting of grains served to infants and toddlers in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. This document corrects the final regulations to align meal pattern tables and corresponding endnotes with regulatory requirements.

10/18/2021
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2021-0109 Questions and Answers for Child Nutrition Programs Emergency Procurement Due to Supply Chain Disruptions

This memorandum provides clarification on questions related to child nutrition programs use of emergency procurements due to supply chain disruptions caused by COVID-19.

SP 23-2021, CACFP 18-2021
10/15/2021
Page updated: October 14, 2021