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Resource | Policy Memos Meal Service During Unanticipated School Closures

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide updated guidance on the child nutrition program flexibilities available during unanticipated school closures. Schools may face unanticipated closures due to natural disasters, unscheduled major building repairs, court orders relating to school safety or other issues, labor-management disputes, or, when approved by the state agency, a similar cause.

11/05/2019
Resource | Guidance Documents Best Practices for Project Management for the Child Nutrition Programs System Replacement or Upgrade

This memorandum is the third in a series of memoranda to support state agencies administering the child nutrition programs as they enhance or build information technology solutions for their state agency operations. The series will provide state agencies with best practices and practical direction on child nutrition IT system planning, procurement, project management, data ownership and intellectual property, and testing.

10/02/2019
Resource | Policy Memos CN Information Technology Solutions: Best Practices for Defining the Child Nutrition Programs System Replacement or Upgrade

This memorandum is the second in a series of memoranda to support state agencies administering the child nutrition programs as they enhance or build Information Technology solutions for their state agency operations.

10/02/2019
Resource | Policy Smoothies Offered in the Child Nutrition Programs

This memorandum clarifies juice and yogurt allowances based on the child care and preschool meal pattern updates and incorporates the meal pattern flexibilities related to flavored milk. The flavored milk flexibilities apply to the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the Special Milk Program for Children effective beginning in school year 2019-2020.

09/23/2019
Resource | Policy Memos Rescission of Summer Food Service Program Guidance on Targeted State Agency Reviews of Sponsors and Sites

FNS rescinds, effective immediately, the memorandum Targeted State Agency Reviews of Sponsors and Sites in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), issued on March 23, 2000. The rescinded memorandum provides incorrect instructions to state agencies for calculating the cumulative total dollar amount of SFSP meal reimbursements.

09/13/2019
Resource | Policy Memos Crediting Coconut, Hominy, Corn Masa and Masa Harina in the Child Nutrition Programs

This memorandum rescinds and replaces SP 22-2019, CACFP 09-2019, SFSP 08-2019 Crediting Coconut, Hominy, Corn Masa, and Corn Flour in the Child Nutrition Programs. This updated memorandum provides guidance on crediting coconut (including dried coconut), hominy, corn masa, and masa harina and clarifies how to identify popular products made from corn that can credit towards the grain requirements in the child nutrition programs, including the NSLP, SBP, CACFP and SFSP.

08/22/2019
Resource | Policy Memos Farm Bill Implementation Memo: Donated Traditional Foods and Civil Liability

This memorandum notifies child nutrition program operators of the 2018 Farm Bill’s expansion of the provision stating that certain groups are not liable in civil cases regarding the donation and service of traditional foods. This provision only applies to food service programs at public and nonprofit facilities that primarily serve Indians, including those operated by Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations.

07/23/2019
Resource | Research and Data | Report to Congress Child Nutrition Reporting Burden Analysis Study

The Child Nutrition Reporting Burden Analysis Study was commissioned by FNS in response to a legislative requirement of House Report 114-531. The study examined challenges faced by SAs and SFAs related to child nutrition program administrative and reporting requirements and identifying those that contribute most to the workload for SAs and SFAs that operate CN programs.

07/02/2019
Resource | Research and Data | Participation Characteristics SFSP Characteristics Study

This study collected data on SFSP operations and characteristics at the state, sponsor, and site levels. Survey data was collected in the summer of 2015 from a census of the 53 state agencies (all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico) and nationally representative samples of SFSP sponsors and sites. In lieu of a technical research report, study findings are included in a four-page infographic.

06/18/2019
Resource | Policy Memos Demonstration Project for Non-Congregate Feeding for Outdoor Summer Meal Sites Experiencing Excessive Heat with Q&As

FNS is continuing the 2018 demonstration project allowing non-congregate feeding at certain outdoor summer meal sites experiencing excessive heat for summer 2019, to develop and test alternative methods of providing access to summer meals for low-income children.

05/29/2019
Page updated: October 14, 2021