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Resource | Policy Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA); Interpretation of “Federal Public Benefit”

This notice sets forth the interpretation that the U.S. Department of Agriculture uses for the term “Federal public benefit” as used in Title IV of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. In doing so, this notice supersedes any prior interpretation in any notice or other document issued by any USDA agency. This notice also describes and preliminarily identifies the USDA programs that provide “Federal public benefits” within the scope of PRWORA.

07/10/2025
Resource | Policy Enhancing Child Nutrition Program Meal Standards

As a reminder, meals and snacks offered through the child nutrition programs may be claimed for federal reimbursement if they meet the federal nutrition requirements and other federal regulations. State agencies may not withhold federal reimbursement for meals that meet the federal requirements, even if additional state requirements are not met. However, if a state provides an additional reimbursement above the federal reimbursement, they may withhold the state reimbursement.

06/02/2025
Resource | Policy FY 2025 Commodity Credit Corporation TEFAP Funding

This memorandum provides information about the approximately $500 million in additional support for emergency food programs that USDA is providing in FY 2025 under the statutory authority of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act for distribution through The Emergency Food Assistance Program.

12/17/2024
Resource | Policy Nutrition Requirements for Fluid Milk and Substitutions in the CACFP, Questions and Answers

This memorandum details the nutrition requirements for fluid milk and fluid milk substitutes in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and includes a series of frequently asked questions and answers. This memorandum supersedes CACFP 17-2016, Nutrition Requirements for Fluid Milk and Fluid Milk Substitutions in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, Questions and Answers, July 14, 2016. 

10/28/2024
Resource | Policy Offer Versus Serve and Family Style Meals in CACFP

The purpose of this memorandum is to outline the use of Offer Versus Serve in the adult day care and at-risk afterschool settings, as well as the use of family style meals in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. 

10/28/2024
Resource | Policy Q&As Related to CACFP 11-2021, SFSP 07-2021 Collection of Race and Ethnicity Data by Visual Observation and Identification in the CACFP and SFSP – Policy Rescission – Set 2

This guidance is intended to assist state agencies and program operators of the Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program in meeting the longstanding federal requirement to collect race and ethnicity data of program participants.

08/28/2024
Basic page CACFP Best Practices

The CACFP meal patterns lay the foundation for a healthy eating pattern for children and adults in care. USDA also developed optional best practices that build on the meal patterns and highlight areas where centers and day care homes may take additional steps to further improve the nutritional quality of the meals they serve.

08/26/2024
Resource | Policy FD-155: Written Beneficiary Notice and Referral Requirements for CSFP and TEFAP State Agencies

The purpose of this memorandum is to clarify the written notice and referral requirements for organizations that receive USDA Foods or administrative funding as part of CSFP and TEFAP program guidance, per USDA regulations on equal opportunity for religious organizations to participate in USDA assistance programs.

07/01/2024
Resource | Policy Notice to Beneficiaries and Prospective Beneficiaries

USDA and eight other federal agencies recently published a final rule entitled, Partnerships With Faith-Based and Neighborhood Organizations at 89 FR 15671 (final rule). The final rule amended USDA regulations at 7 CFR part 16 related to equal opportunity for faith-based organizations that operate USDA programs and religious protections for USDA program beneficiaries.

07/01/2024
Resource | Training and Outreach SUN Program Rack Cards

A set of double-sided rack cards about SUN programs.

05/22/2024
Page updated: October 14, 2021