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Resource | Guidance Documents Meal Service During Unanticipated School Closures

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide updated guidance on the child nutrition program flexibilities available during unanticipated school closures. Schools may face unanticipated closures due to natural disasters, unscheduled major building repairs, court orders relating to school safety or other issues, labor-management disputes, or, when approved by the state agency, a similar cause.

11/05/2019
Resource | Federal Register Notices National School Lunch, Special Milk, and School Breakfast Programs, National Average Payments/Maximum Reimbursement Rates (July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020)

This Notice supersedes the notice published in the Aug. 7, 2019 issue of the Federal Register entitled National School Lunch, Special Milk, and School Breakfast Programs, National Average Payments/Maximum Reimbursement Rates (FR Doc. 84-38590). It establishes new reimbursement rates for Guam and Virgin Islands to match the reimbursement rate provided to Puerto Rico, and corrects an incorrect date.

11/01/2019
Resource | Policy Clarification on the Milk and Water Requirements in the School Meal Program

This memorandum rescinds and replaces SP19-2018, issued Aug. 6, 2018. This updated memorandum clarifies regulations that water made available to students in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program shall not compete with the milk requirement.

09/23/2019
Resource | Factsheets Household Programs USDA Foods Product Information Sheets and Recipes

This page displays product information sheets for USDA Foods available to households through the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). Staff who operate USDA Foods programs and participants often use this information to help prepare healthy meals. Each product information sheet includes a description of the USDA Foods product, storage tips, nutrition facts, and recipes that use the product.

09/16/2019
Resource | Guidance Documents Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 Two-Year Administrative Funding Provision—Information Memorandum

This memorandum provides information on the new provision in Section 4(b)(7) of the Food and Nutrition Act that requires FDPIR administrative funds to remain available for obligation at the Indian Tribal Organization and state agency level for a period of two federal fiscal years.

04/05/2019
Resource | Factsheets Special Milk Program Factsheet

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.

03/20/2019
Resource | Webinars/Videos Food Crediting in Child Nutrition Programs - Request for Information

The Request for Information will be available for public comment through April 23, 2018.  The comment period for the Request for Information that was published on Dec. 14, 2017 (82 FR 58792) has been extended from Feb. 12, 2018 to April 23, 2018.

12/21/2017
Resource | Policy Donated Food Storage, Distribution, and Product Dating

This general USDA Foods guidance memorandum is meant to provide clarification and guidance on policies and procedures for donated food storage and distribution as they relate to product dating.

11/21/2017
Resource | Guidance Documents Eligibility Manual for School Meals

The manual provides comprehensive information on federal requirements, policies, and procedures, and is intended to help state agencies and local educational agencies accurately determine, certify, and verify children’s eligibility for free and reduced price school meals and free milk.

07/05/2017
Page updated: June 02, 2026