Attached are Q&As on the final rule Child Nutrition Programs: Flexibilities for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium Requirements (83 FR 63775, Dec. 12, 2018), which provides menu planning flexibilities in the child nutrition programs beginning July 1, 2019.
The Special Milk Program provides milk to children in schools, child care institutions and eligible camps that do not participate in other federal child nutrition meal service programs. The program reimburses schools and institutions for the milk they serve. In 2011, 3,848 schools and residential child care institutions participated, along with 782 summer camps and 527 non‐residential child care institutions. Schools in the National School Lunch or School Breakfast Programs may also participate in the Special Milk Program to provide milk to children in half‐day pre‐kindergarten and kindergarten programs where children do not have access to the school meal programs.
School programs policy memo SP 14-2019 provides SY 2017-18 reporting guidance for the FNS-640 report. The FNS-640 form became available in FPRS on March 1, 2019. State agencies may use the attached instructions and business rules/edit check to begin and/or finalize implementation of processes for reporting and any system updates for School Year 2017-2018 reporting.
School meals are required to meet specific nutrition standards to operate the school meals programs. The standards align school meals with the latest nutrition science and the real world circumstances of America’s schools.
School food authorities (SFAs) participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs are required to verify income for a small percentage of households approved for free or reduced price meals each school year. However, getting households to respond to verification requests can be challenging for SFA staff. If households do not respond, they lose their benefits regardless of their actual eligibility.
Attached is updated clarifying guidance for state agencies regarding the 60-day claim submission and 90-day reporting requirements for child nutrition programs which was released on April 25, 2018. This latest version includes edits to align with changes made in the SFSP Simplified Cost Accounting Final Rule published on June 1, 2018.
An interim final rule published on Nov. 30, 2017 provides child nutrition program operators targeted flexibilities for milk, whole grains, and sodium requirements for school year 2018-2019. This memorandum summarizes the flexibilities that will be effective July 1, 2018.
This memorandum revises the current USDA Food and Nutrition Service process for state agencies and eligible service providers seeking a waiver of statutory or regulatory program requirements for the child nutrition programs, including the CACFP, the SFSP, the NSLP, the FFVP, the SMP, and the SBP.
Through this memorandum, pursuant to the authority of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Act 2010, FNS is continuing the 2017 demonstration project allowing non-congregate feeding at certain outdoor summer meal sites experiencing excessive heat for summer 2018, to develop and test alternative methods of providing access to summer meals for low income children.