FNS Documents & Resources

This memorandum clarifies the flexibility available to local educational agency officials for establishing the effective date of eligibility for children certified for free or reduced price meals in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs and free milk in the Special Milk Program based on household applications.

Letter to Households: Notification of Selection for Verification of Eligibility

This memorandum has been superseded by SP10 CACFP04 SFSP03-2015: Area Eligibility in Child Nutrition Programs.

The administrators of the NAEP have asked that we remind school food authorities that they may disclose, without parent/guardian consent, children’s names and eligibility status (whether they are eligible for free meals or free milk or reduced price meals) to persons directly connected with the administration or enforcement of a federal or state education program.

This memorandum is to clarify the relationship between delayed implementation of Provision 2 and use of a child’s prior year’s eligibility status for the first 30 operating days in the new school year (“carryover”).

This memorandum supplements the guidance issued on May 16, 2008, concerning automatic eligibility for free meals for any child who is enrolled in Head Start.

This memorandum provides guidance regarding amendments to the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act  that extend automatic eligibility for free meal benefits, including free milk, to all children enrolled in Head Start and participating in child nutrition programs.