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Resource | Technical Assistance & Guidance CEP Planning and Implementation Guidance

A final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Community Eligibility Provision-Increasing Options for Schools (88 FR 65778), was published on Sept. 26, 2023, with an effective date of Oct. 26, 2023, that established the 25 percent minimum ISP threshold.  As a result, more students, households, and schools have the opportunity to experience CEP’s benefits, such as increasing access to school meals at no cost, eliminating unpaid meal charges, minimizing stigma, and streamlining meal service operations.

02/12/2024
Resource | Policy Memos FNS-640 Reporting Guidance

This memo provides reporting guidance for the FNS-640 report beginning with reporting for school year (SY) 2018-19 due March 1, 2020.

SP03-2020
01/29/2024
Resource | Guidance Documents | FNS-GD-1988-0015 Handling Lost, Stolen and Misused Meal Tickets

This Instruction sets forth policy with respect to needy students who report lost or stolen meal tickets in schools and institutions that participate in the National School Lunch, School Breakfast, Commodity School or Special Milk Programs.

08/08/1988
Resource | Guidance Documents Prohibition Against Denying Meals and Milk to Children as a Disciplinary Action

This Instruction prohibits the denial of meals and milk as a disciplinary action against any child who is enrolled in a school participating in the child nutrition programs. Such denial of meals or milk is inconsistent with Section 2 and 9 of the National School Lunch Act and Sections 2,3, and 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966.

FNS Instruction 791-1 REV. 1
07/12/1988
Resource | Guidance Documents | FNS-GD-1988-0013 Eligibility of Schools and Institutions to Participate in School Nutrition Programs

Occasionally, applications for participation in the School Nutrition Programs may be received from organizations that do not clearly meet the definition of “school.”

06/06/1988
Resource | Guidance Documents | FNS-GD-1988-0012 Pricing of Adult Meals in the National School Lunch And School Breakfast Programs

This Instruction sets forth the policy on pricing of meals served to adults under the National School Lunch, Commodity School and School Breakfast Programs in participating schools and institutions which claim reimbursement under Sections 4 and 11 of the National School Lunch Act and Section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act.

FNS Instruction 782-5 REV. 1
06/06/1988
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-1988-0011 Reimbursement For Off Site Meal Consumption

This Instruction sets forth the policy with respect to reimbursement of meals consumed off-site under the National School Lunch, Commodity School, and School Breakfast Programs. 

06/06/1988
Resource | Guidance Documents | FNS-GD-1988-0010 Agreements With Entities Which Operate Interstate Schools and Facilities

Program regulations require administering agencies (state educational, alternate or distributing agencies, or Food and Nutrition regional offices) to enter into written agreements with school food authorities or sponsoring organizations of child care facilities or summer sites which desire to participate in one or more of the Department's child nutrition programs.

06/06/1988
Resource | Guidance Documents | FNS-GD-1988-0009 Partial Implementation of the School Meal Programs in an Individual School

This Instruction sets forth the policy that partial implementation of the National School Lunch and Commodity School Programs is not allowed, but that partial implementation of the School Breakfast Program may be allowed under certain circumstances.

06/06/1988
Page updated: October 14, 2021