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Resource | Research and Data School Food Authority Survey III on Supply Chain Disruption and Student Participation

The third annual survey of School Food Authorities found that 95 percent of SFAs faced supply-chain related challenges in school year (SY) 2023-24, but that the number of reported challenges and impacts they have on school food service have largely declined compared to SY 2022-23. This report is the third in the series and, like the others, reports findings from a 20-minute online questionnaire sent to all SFAs operating child nutrition programs in schools to gather information on the impacts of continued supply chain challenges

12/10/2024
Resource | Training and Outreach Apply for Free and Reduced Price School Meals Today

USDA’s school meal programs are important to millions of children every school day. These meals give children the healthy food they need to learn, grow, and thrive. Many families will need to fill out an application to find out if they can get free or reduced price meals.

08/28/2024
Resource | Webinars/Videos State Monitoring Optional Template: School Meal Program Administrative Review Cycle Webinar

This webinar gives a brief overview of the school meal program review cycle provision that was codified through the Child Nutrition Program Integrity final rule and the requirements for state agencies electing to conduct school meal program administrative reviews on a 4- or 5-year cycle.

07/02/2024
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 | Research and Data | Assessing/Improving Operations CN Program Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic, July 2020 - Dec. 2021

This data collection fulfills states’ reporting requirements and describes trends in program participation during the COVID-19 pandemic from July 2020 through Dec. 2021. It is part of an ongoing study series examining CN program operations, repurposed to collect waiver reports from all states. A previous report in the series detailed waiver usage and trends in program participation and operations from March through Sept. 2020.

04/30/2024
Resource | Technical Assistance FY 21 Non-competitive Technology Innovation Grant (nTIG) Award Summaries

State agency summaries for the non-competitive Technology Innovation Grants (nTIGs) awarded FY 21.

01/30/2024
Resource | Policy FNS-640 Reporting Guidance

This memo provides reporting guidance for the FNS-640 report beginning with reporting for school year (SY) 2018-19 due March 1, 2020.

01/29/2024
Resource | Policy Updated Instructions for the SAE Recovery Process and SAE Financial Status Report

Updated instructions for the state administrative expenses recovery process and SAE financial status report (FNS-777-SAE) for child nutrition programs.

01/24/2024
Resource | Research and Data | Assessing/Improving Operations Study of the Administrative Review and Training Grants in the USDA National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program

This report examines in-depth the accomplishments, challenges, and lessons learned from 20 states that received and completed Administrative Review and Training (ART) Grants by the end of FY 2017. ART Grants provide funding for diverse activities aimed at reducing administrative error, including training for administrative personnel and improving state-level technologies in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program.

08/25/2020
Resource | Research and Data | Assessing/Improving Operations Assessment of the Administrative Review Process in School Meal Programs

The Administrative Review is the process state agencies use to assess compliance with federal requirements of SFAs participating in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. This study assesses the AR process by examining the results from a purposive sample of ARs. The study also describes in-depth how nine selected state agencies conduct their ARs, and ways the process could be further improved.

08/25/2020
Page updated: October 14, 2021