With the revision, FNS will seek approval for the School Meals Operations (SMO) study to collect survey and administrative data about SY 2023-24 from a census of state agencies. The SMO study will not collect survey data about SY 2023-24 from school food authorities.
This rulemaking finalizes long-term school nutrition requirements based on the goals of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, robust stakeholder input, and lessons learned from prior rulemakings.
This notice announces the Department's annual adjustments to the Income Eligibility Guidelines to be used in determining eligibility for free and reduced price meals, free milk, and Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer benefits for the period from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.
This memorandum provides the information needed to conduct the FY 2024 reallocation of State Administrative Expense (SAE) funds. All state agencies must submit an SAE Funds Reallocation Report (FNS-525) to their respective FNS regional office by March 1, 2024, even if the state agency is neither requesting nor returning funds.
Updated instructions for the state administrative expenses recovery process and SAE financial status report (FNS-777-SAE) for child nutrition programs.
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.
FNS is aware that schools in multiple states are experiencing milk supply chain challenges related to packaging issues. This memorandum provides state agencies with information about existing authority related to schools and other child nutrition program operators experiencing inadequate milk supply. FNS encourages state agencies to use this authority when needed to support program operators impacted by the current milk packaging challenges.
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.
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.
FNS plans to collect periodic data to obtain information on operational challenges facing institutions who operate or administer child nutrition programs, including state agencies, SFAs and Summer Food Service Program sponsors. The Operational Challenges in Child Nutrition Programs (OCCNP) Surveys, are designed to collect timely data on emerging school food service operational challenges, including but not limited to supply chain disruptions, food costs, and labor shortages, and/or related issues in SY 2023–2024, 2024–2025, and SY 2025–2026.