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.
This final national caseload level ensures that resources are sufficient to provide full food packages to participants throughout the caseload cycle. We are allocating final caseload and administrative grants for 2025 to CSFP state agencies, including Tribes and U.S. territories.
This notice announces the Department's annual adjustments to the Income Eligibility Guidelines to be used in determining eligibility for free and reduced price meals, free milk, and Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer benefits for the period from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026.
This memorandum transmits the 2025 income guidelines for state agencies and tribes in determining the eligibility of individuals applying to participate in CSFP.
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.
In the Summer Food Service Program, parent or guardian pick-up is a meal service option for which approved sponsors may distribute meals to parents or guardians to take home to their children.
In the Summer Food Service Program, site proximity refers to the minimum distance between approved sites, based on population density and accessibility to participants.
To maintain program integrity and ensure the site is meeting the intended purpose, site caps for rural non-congregate meal sites must accurately reflect the needs of the targeted rural communities being served.
This notice informs the public of the annual adjustments to the reimbursement rates for meals served in the Summer Food Service Program.
This memorandum provides additional clarification on questions received from state agencies and program stakeholders. It also includes guidance on integrity measures for non-congregate meal service operations.