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.
This memo provides reporting guidance for the FNS-640 report beginning with reporting for school year (SY) 2018-19 due March 1, 2020.
FNS published the subject interim regulation, and established the effective date as Dec. 15, 1999, because the customary effective date for regulations is 30 days after publication and given the health and reimbursement implications, we wished to implement the regulation as soon as possible.
In response to inquiries from three regional offices, we are issuing the attached guidance with regard to the eligibility for free meals of children participating in state-funded pre-kindergarten programs.