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Resource | Guidance Documents Food Stamp and Child Nutrition Agreements for Direct Certification

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 requires that children in food stamp households be directly certified for free school meals. To prepare for the phased in implementation of mandatory direct certification, which begins for the largest school districts in July 2006 and covers all school districts by July 2008, we convened a work group on Jan. 26–27, 2005.

02/15/2005
Resource | Guidance Documents Military Families and Eligibility in the Child Nutrition Programs

We have recently received questions regarding the child nutrition policy on the treatment of income from deployed military personnel engaged in long-term military campaigns overseas.

01/07/2005
Resource | Research and Data Summary-Preliminary Report on the Feasibility of Computer Matching in the National School Lunch Program

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 directed the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study of the feasibility of using computer technology (including data mining) to reduce over certification, waste, fraud and abuse in the National School Lunch Program.

01/05/2005
Resource | Final Rule Final Rule: Determining Eligibility for Free and Reduced Price Meals in Schools-Verification Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements

This final rule amends the reporting and recordkeeping requirements under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program relating to the verification of applications for free and reduced price meal benefits under the NSLP and the SBP.

09/11/2003
Resource | Research and Data | Payment Accuracy and Program Integrity School Food Authority Administration of National School Lunch Program Free and Reduced Price Eligibility Determination

From July to September 2002, FNA reviewed the free and reduced price eligibility determination process (i.e., application, verification, reapplication, meal ticket status) for each of 3,474 applications selected for verification in 14 large school food authorities in the 2001-02 school year. These SFAs enroll nearly one million children, among whom 45 percent were approved for free meals and 7 percent were approved for reduced price meals as of Oct. 31, 2001.

08/01/2003
Resource | Policy Single Inventory and Related Commodity Issues—Clarification of Regulatory Changes and Other Guidance

The purpose of this memorandum is to clarify the recent regulatory changes, and to provide interim guidance for taking additional actions in advance of further regulatory amendments. 

05/23/2003
Resource | Policy Pasteurized Juice

This memorandum is to clarify the use of pasteurized juice in the child nutrition programs.

05/22/2003
Resource | Policy Determining School and Child Care Commodity Entitlements

This memorandum describes how commodity entitlements are determined and allocated to states for meals served in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and Child and Adult Care Food Program.

02/05/2003
Resource | Guidance Documents PL 104-193: Changes to Applications for Waivers in the Child Nutrition Programs

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 made a number of changes to the National School Lunch Act which governs the waiver process in the child nutrition programs. This memorandum identifies the changes and provides guidance to be used in developing and submitting waiver requests to the child nutrition division. 

12/02/1996
Resource | Policy FNS Instruction 795-1: Use of School Feeding Facilities For The Elderly and Other Community Feeding Programs

This Instruction clarifies the Department's policy regarding the use of school feeding facilities as community resources for such activities as feeding programs for the elderly, and provides information on the nutrition program for the elderly authorized by PL 92-258.

06/20/1973
Page updated: June 02, 2026