FNS Documents & Resources

FNS is proposing to amend its regulations to make access and parity improvements within several food distribution programs, including the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, The Emergency Food Assistance Program, and USDA Foods disaster response.

The purpose of this memorandum is to advise state agencies on the steps the Food and Nutrition Service will take to monitor and engage state agencies with poor SNAP initial application processing timeliness rates.

Answers to some of the frequently asked questions about how TEFAP can support cultural and religious practices around food, particularly those serving kosher and halal observant communities.

This policy memorandum provides guidance on data sharing activities that support targeted outreach and streamlined certification processes aimed at increasing WIC participation and retention. It expresses USDA FNS support of data sharing, provides an overview of data sharing relevant to WIC, summarizes WIC program guidance on sharing confidential WIC participant data, and lays the groundwork for future guidance and resources to help WIC state agencies expand outreach and streamline the
certification process.

Pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to age 5 are eligible. They must meet income guidelines, a state residency requirement, and be individually determined to be at "nutritional risk" by a health professional.

USDA proposed rule to streamline and modernize WIC and offer online shopping to participants. The proposed changes aim to ease stores’ administrative requirements, creates state positions to improve customer experience. Questions and answers regarding the proposed rule can be found on this page.

A document with questions and answers regarding the FDPIR Self-Determination Demonstration Project round two funds.

As part of the WIC innovation and modernization efforts to be funded under ARPA, FNS will fund non-competitive grants to WIC State agencies to complete projects aimed at improving the WIC shopping experience, which is a well-documented pain point for WIC participants. The primary goal of funded projects must be to improve the shopping experience, as evidenced by increasing the redemption of WIC benefits, improving customer satisfaction, and/or improving participant access to vendors, including for underserved communities and individuals.

FNS is committed to supporting WIC state agencies that are pursuing online ordering and online transactions. Bringing these shopping innovations to our participants is expected to improve the WIC shopping experience, increase equity in the program by allowing participants to shop like all other shoppers, and increase WIC benefit redemptions.

The Child Tax Credit, part of the American Rescue Plan, significantly expands the child tax credit for 2021 and will be issued to families in monthly payments, beginning in July. These credits do not count as income for purposes of determining eligibility for WIC. For more detailed information on the Child Tax Credit, please go to childtaxcredit.gov.