This guidance is intended to assist state agencies and program operators of the Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program in meeting the longstanding federal requirement to collect race and ethnicity data of program participants.
FNS published a final rule, “Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans” (RIN 0584-AE88) in the Federal Register on April 25, 2024 which introduces a new recordkeeping requirement for the CACFP. FNS is publishing a 30-Day Notice for this final rule submission because the agency changed how the requirement and burden change were submitted for approval in the final rule from what was used in the proposed rule.
The updated survey will collect timely data on policy, administrative, and operational issues for the CN programs.
This notice announces the annual adjustments to the national average payment rates for meals and snacks served in child care centers, outside-school-hours care centers, at-risk afterschool care centers, and adult day care centers; the food service payment rates for meals and snacks served in day care homes; and the administrative reimbursement rates for sponsoring organizations of day care homes, to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index.
This notice announces the national average value of donated foods or, where applicable, cash in lieu of donated foods, to be provided in school year 2025 (July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025) for each lunch served by schools participating in the National School Lunch Program, and for each lunch and supper served by institutions participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
Geographic Preference Option Questions and Answers
USDA and eight other federal agencies recently published a final rule entitled, Partnerships With Faith-Based and Neighborhood Organizations at 89 FR 15671 (final rule). The final rule amended USDA regulations at 7 CFR part 16 related to equal opportunity for faith-based organizations that operate USDA programs and religious protections for USDA program beneficiaries.
This guide informs small entities participating in child nutrition programs about the final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and how to comply with it. This guide does not include any new requirements; it just summarizes existing guidance related to the final rule.
FNS published the Child Nutrition Program Integrity Final Rule and amended regulations at 7 CFR 226.7(b) and 7 CFR 226.10(c) to codify the requirement for an annual reconciliation of bank account activity and accounting of reported actual expenditures with Child and Adult Care Food Program payments. This memorandum provides a summary of each provision and instructions for how to complete the annual verification of bank account activity and actual expenditures.
This memorandum provides a detailed explanation of the expanded geographic preference option.