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Resource | Technical Assistance & Guidance National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program Demonstration Projects to Evaluate Direct Certification with Medicaid

FNS is conducting additional demonstration projects to expand the evaluation of direct certification with Medicaid for both free and reduced price meal eligibility in NSLP and SBP.

11/09/2023
Resource | Technical Assistance & Guidance USDA Secretary Vilsack Letter to States for SY 2022-23

Letter to states from the USDA Secretary to encourage you to help schools in your state keep kids fed despite ongoing challenges associated with the pandemic, ongoing supply chain issues, and labor shortages.

09/02/2022
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2017-0049 2018 Direct Certification Improvement Grant RFA

The fiscal year 2018 Direct Certification Improvement Grant Request for Applications are available to state agencies that administer the National School Lunch and the School Breakfast programs to fund the costs of improving your direct certification rates with SNAP, and other needs-based assistance programs.

SP41-2017
08/15/2017
Resource | Report 2015 Expenditures on Children By Families

The Expenditures on Children by Families annual report provides estimates of the cost of raising children from birth through age 17 for different budgetary components, including food, housing, transportation, health care, clothing, child care and education, and miscellaneous costs.

01/06/2017
Resource | Grants Direct Certification Improvement Grant Summaries

Grant Summaries

11/23/2015
Resource | Report 2013 Expenditures on Children By Families

The annual report, Expenditures on Children and Families, also known as the Cost of Raising a Child, shows that a middle-income family with a child born in 2013 can expect to spend about $245,340 ($304,480 adjusted for projected inflation) for food, housing, childcare and education, and other child-rearing expenses up to age 18. Costs associated with pregnancy or expenses occurred after age 18, such as higher education, are not included.

08/20/2014
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2013-0088 Attachments to SP12-2014: RFA for Participation in Demonstration Projects to Evaluate Direct Certification with Medicaid in SY 2014-15

FNS invites state agencies that administer the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program to apply to participate in demonstration projects that will evaluate the effectiveness of conducting direct certification with the Medicaid program.

12/06/2013
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2013-0069 Transmittal of Q&As on Computation of Direct Certification Performance Rate with SNAP

The attached Q&As are issued in follow-up to Policy Memorandum SP 50-2013, Release of the new state agency Direct Certification Rate Data Element Report.

SP54-2013
08/16/2013
Resource | Report 2012 Expenditures on Children By Families

Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its annual report, Expenditures on Children by Families, also known as the Cost of Raising a Child. The report shows that a middle-income family with a child born in 2012 can expect to spend about $241,080 ($301,970 adjusted for projected inflation) for food, shelter, and other necessities associated with child-rearing expenses over the next 17 years.

08/14/2013
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2013-0059 Data Exchange between the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) for Direct Certification with SNAP

This memo is to inform you of recent changes related to data exchanges for the purposes of direct certification for NSLP with SNAP. Please share this information with state agencies administering SNAP and continue to encourage them to fully cooperate with their NSLP counterparts to improve the direct certification of children in SNAP households.

07/16/2013
Page updated: October 14, 2021