The Departments of Agriculture, Education and Health and Human Services issued a tri-agency letter outlining the categorical eligibility of children and youth in foster care for free school meals.
This memorandum notifies state agencies and local program operators of recently updated rules issued by the Federal Communications Commission regarding the calculation of discount rates under the E-Rate program for schools electing the Community Eligibility Provision.
The purpose of this study is to describe current methods of direct certification used by state and local agencies and challenges facing states and local education agencies in attaining high matching rates.
USDA offers a variety of user- and kid-friendly whole grain-rich foods. We continually review and work to improve our whole-grain products to ensure they help school nutrition programs meet the updated meal requirements, perform well, and are acceptable to children.
This memorandum provides revised policy guidance on certification periods pertaining to zero income households in FDPIR. FNS Handbook 501 provides that households who report zero income month after month must be asked as to how they sustain themselves and other household members.
The attached Questions & Answers provide guidance on the meal patterns and dietary specifications for meals offered under the School Breakfast Program. The meal requirements for the SBP were established by the final rule Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act directed USDA to study the extent to which school food authorities participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs pay indirect costs to local education agencies. It specifically requested an assessment of the methodologies used to establish indirect costs, the types and amounts of indirect costs that are charged and not charged to the school foodservice account, and the types and amounts of indirect costs recovered by LEAs.
Attached are revised questions and answers related to the final rule entitled, Certification of Compliance with Meal Requirements for the National School Lunch Program under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.
Under the Community Eligibility Provision, schools do not collect or process meal applications for free and reduced-price meals served in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. Schools must serve all meals at no cost with any costs in excess of the federal reimbursement paid from non-federal sources.