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.
The Food Plans represent a nutritious diet at four different cost levels. The nutritional bases of the Food Plans are the 1997-2005 Dietary Reference Intakes, 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and 2005 MyPyramid food intake recommendations. In addition to cost, differences among plans are in specific foods and quantities of foods. Another basis of the Food Plans is that all meals and snacks are prepared at home. For specific foods and quantities of foods in the Food Plans, see Thrifty Food Plan, 2006 (2007) and The Low-Cost, Moderate-Cost, and Liberal Food Plans, 2007 (2007). All four Food Plans are based on 2001-02 data and updated to current dollars by using the Consumer Price Index for specific food items.
This memorandum responds to a number of recent questions and requests to provide clarifying guidance to state agencies and child nutrition program operators, including the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Food Service Program, regarding the expectation and enforcement of ethical conduct by their employees engaged in procurement of program goods and service.
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.
This memorandum provides guidance on the process state agencies and SFAs should use when assessing requests to fund nutrition education related expenses from the nonprofit school food service account.
Recently, we have received several questions about the use of funds from the nonprofit school food service account to cover expenditures related to farm to school activities and school gardens. The questions and answers below address specific scenarios that school food authorities may be dealing with when considering the allowability of such costs.
FNS considers access to a healthy school meal a critical function of child nutrition programs. FNS Instruction 782-6 established the longstanding policy that children participating in the school meal programs not be charged any additional fees for services provided in conjunction with the delivery of these programs.
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide information and guidance to state agencies and school food authorities on the current status of the domestic beef market.
To assist state agencies and FNS to better monitor the use of Section 201 funds, as mentioned in our August 15, 2014 memorandum SP60-2014 (Second Extension of Grant Period for State Administrative Funds to Implement New Meal Pattern Requirements), FNS has changed the frequency of financial reporting from annual reporting to quarterly reporting beginning with the fiscal year (FY) 2015.
This memorandum provides additional guidance to assist in implementing the final rule, Administrative Reviews in School Nutrition Programs, effective Sept. 27, 2016. The guidance included in this memorandum is intended to assist with the completion of administrative reviews conducted after this effective date.