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.
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.
As part of Secretary Rollins’ commitment to support American beef and create healthy outcomes for American children, the Farm to School Program is committed to working with CNP operators to help them source and serve local in program meals.
In this program guidance, Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke L. Rollins, strongly encourages child nutrition program operators to familiarize themselves with the key recommendations and consider how the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030 can be incorporated into program meals and snacks to promote healthy outcomes and healthy families.
President Donald J. Trump signed into law the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025. This memorandum and the attachment provide guidance on implementation of the updated fluid milk requirements for school lunch as required by the new law.
Explore the expanded edition of Discover MyPlate: Nutrition Education for Kindergarten. The updated set includes additional food cards and fun new resources showing where food comes from.
In alignment with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ priorities to encourage healthy choices, healthy outcomes, and healthy families and connect America’s farmers to nutrition assistance programs, we are revising the CSFP Maximum Monthly Distribution Rates to reflect the foods currently available in the program.
Frequently asked questions and answers for suppliers and manufacturers publishing data for the Child Nutrition Database.
This information is for manufacturers submitting food product information within GS1 Global Data Synchronization Network (GS1 GDSN®) for products to be included in the USDA Child Nutrition Database (CNDB).
As a reminder, meals and snacks offered through the child nutrition programs may be claimed for federal reimbursement if they meet the federal nutrition requirements and other federal regulations. State agencies may not withhold federal reimbursement for meals that meet the federal requirements, even if additional state requirements are not met. However, if a state provides an additional reimbursement above the federal reimbursement, they may withhold the state reimbursement.