FNS Documents & Resources

Program errors and the risk of erroneous payments in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) continue to be a concern. Slightly more than one in five students were certified inaccurately or erroneously denied benefits in school year (SY) 2005-06. New data estimates the gross cost of school meals erroneous payments due to certification error at about $935 million while other operational errors represent about $860 million. 

National Interim Head Start Grantee Participation in CACFP: Community Development Institute

In response to the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 directive to examine the feasibility of reducing program paperwork and recordkeeping requirements, FNS convened a paperwork reduction work group of CACFP stakeholders. While the work group sought to identify opportunities to reduce paperwork for all CACFP institutions and facilities, providing relief to “non-traditional” facilities, especially emergency shelters, was a priority recommendation.

This is the second in a series of annual reports assessing administrative errors associated with school food authorities’ approval of applications for free and reduced-price school meals. In school year 2005/06, more than 96 percent of students who were approved for meal benefits on the basis of an application were receiving the correct level of meal benefits, based on the information in the application

files. 

In an effort to provide administrative relief to state agencies and Summer Food Service Program sponsoring organizations, we are extending to the SFSP a provision of the CACFP that allows state agencies and institutions to rely upon a determination of area eligibility for up to five years when based on National School Lunch Program data.

This memorandum and attachments provide information needed to conduct the FY 2007 reallocation of SAE funds.

The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act requires that, when a single state agency administers the National School Lunch Program and any other child nutrition program, the state must have a single agreement and claim form for any school food authority which administer any combination of the programs.

We have received numerous inquiries in the past several weeks concerning a document produced by the Harrison Institute for Public Law at Georgetown University addressing the purchase of products from local farmers. The document expresses the view that Congress, as part of the 2002 Farm Bill, expressed clear support for geographic preferences in purchases made for school food service programs.