7 CFR Part 220, School Breakfast Program

Title: 7 CFR part 220, School Breakfast Program
OMB Control Number: 0584-0012.

Section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act (CNA) of 1966 (42 USC 1772) authorizes the School Breakfast Program as a nutrition assistance program and authorizes payments to states to assist them to initiate, maintain, or expand nonprofit breakfast programs in schools. The provision requires that “Breakfasts served by schools participating in the School Breakfast Program under this section shall consist of a combination of foods and shall meet minimum nutritional requirements prescribed by the Secretary on the basis of tested nutritional research.” The School Breakfast Program is administered and operated in accordance with the National School Lunch Act (NSLA).

The program is administered at the state and school food authority (SFA) levels and the operations include the submission and approval of applications, execution of agreements, submission of claims, payment of claims, monitoring, and providing technical assistance. The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the School Breakfast Program on behalf of the Secretary of Agriculture so that needy children may receive their breakfasts free or at a reduced price.

SFAs, and schools are required to keep accounts and records as may be necessary to enable FNS to determine whether the program is in compliance. School food authorities collect information from the schools and provide that information to state agencies.

The state agencies report to FNS. FNS uses the information to monitor state agency and SFA compliance, determine the amount of funds to be reimbursed, evaluate and adjust program operations, and to monitor program funding and program trends.