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Basic page Study Series: School Meal Program Operations

We have studied school meal program operations for a long time. You can access published reports that go back to school year 1988-89. Each study in this series focuses on topics that are important to program operations at the time. Sometimes the studies also collect information about other child nutrition programs, like the Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program.

03/24/2026
Resource | Research and Data School Meal Program Operations, School Year 2022-23

We regularly collect information about the school meal programs and how they operate from the people who know best – the state agencies that oversee the programs in each state and territory and the school food authorities that manage the programs locally in one or more schools. 

03/24/2026
Resource | Technical Assistance Summary of Nutrition Assistance Program - Puerto Rico (NAP)

In July 1982, Congress authorized a capped block grant program in Puerto Rico, called the Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP). Previously, Puerto Rico ran the traditional Food Stamp Program.

09/11/2025
Resource | Policy Information Collection: State Administrative Expense Funds

This collection is a revision of a currently approved collection for state administrative expense funds expended in the operation of the child nutrition programs administered under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966.

09/11/2025
Resource | Policy Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA); Interpretation of “Federal Public Benefit”

This notice sets forth the interpretation that the U.S. Department of Agriculture uses for the term “Federal public benefit” as used in Title IV of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. In doing so, this notice supersedes any prior interpretation in any notice or other document issued by any USDA agency. This notice also describes and preliminarily identifies the USDA programs that provide “Federal public benefits” within the scope of PRWORA.

07/10/2025
Resource | Policy Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program: Allocation of Funds for FY 2026

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide funding allocation amounts for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program for all state agencies for FY 2026, including information on funding requirements and deadlines, and a reminder of important program requirements.

06/04/2025
Resource | Policy Using Federal Funds to Purchase Local Foods

The purpose of this memorandum is to remind schools, sponsors, and institutions participating in any USDA Child Nutrition Program, including the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, Special Milk Program for Children , Child and Adult Care Food Program, Summer Food Service Program, and the Seamless Summer Option , of the many ways they can purchase local foods to serve in program meals.

05/06/2025
Resource | Policy Secretary Rollins’ Vision for the Department’s 16 Nutrition Programs

I write you today to share my guiding principles regarding nutrition programs, and to encourage states to partner with us as innovative collaborators and policy incubators. Gone are the days of the status quo; today starts a new chapter for the Department, states, territories, tribal communities, and each who render or receive nutrition programs.

02/13/2025
Resource | Research and Data SNAP Language Access Study

These studies examine the policies and procedures in SNAP and the three NAP programs. The first report includes results of a survey of states regarding language access and procedures. The second is a report on case-studies of the give in-depth details of language access policies in four states. The final report examines the language access policies in the NAP programs in American Samoa, The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico. 

10/30/2024
Resource | Policy Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP) – Provisions in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024

This memorandum addresses questions we have received about the provisions of the CAA that affect the Nutrition Assistance Programs in American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico.

09/16/2024
Page updated: October 14, 2021