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Resource | Research and Data Child Nutrition Tables

Child nutrition program data.

12/23/2025
Resource | Policy Reducing School Meal Certification Error through Improved Online Application Design

This memorandum provides guidance to states, local operators, and their software vendors on strategies for leveraging the design flexibilities of online free and reduced price school meal applications to reduce household reporting mistakes and certification errors.

03/05/2018
Resource | Guidance Documents Eligibility Manual for School Meals

The manual provides comprehensive information on federal requirements, policies, and procedures, and is intended to help state agencies and local educational agencies accurately determine, certify, and verify children’s eligibility for free and reduced price school meals and free milk.

07/05/2017
Resource | Guidance Documents Accommodating Disabilities in the School Meal Programs: Guidance and Q&As

This question and answer memorandum is designed to provide practical guidance related to accommodating disabilities in the school meal programs, which are the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, the Special Milk Program, and the NSLP Afterschool Snacks Program.

04/25/2017
Resource | Policy Local School Wellness Policy: Guidance and Q&As

Local educational agencies participating in the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program are required to develop a local school wellness policy that promotes the health of students and addresses the problem of childhood obesity.

04/06/2017
Resource | Policy Unpaid Meal Charges: Guidance and Q&As

This question and answer memorandum is designed to provide an overview of policies related to unpaid meal charges and to address common questions we have received from state agencies, school food authorities, and local program operators.

03/23/2017
Resource | Research and Data | Assessing/Improving Operations School Nutrition Program Operations Study - SY 2012-13

The information in this second year report (school year 2012-13), the first year new lunch standards were implemented, will provide data for observing the improvements resulting from the implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. Data was collected from a survey of all state child nutrition directors and a nationally representative sample of school food authorities.

10/31/2016
Resource | Guidance Documents Q&A: Purchasing Goods and Services Using Cooperative Agreements, Agents, and Third-Party Services

This memorandum provides general guidance on the various procurement groups FNA has identified, how to use each group in a way that complies with federal procurement standards, and supersedes SP 35-2012, Procuring Services of Purchasing Cooperatives, Group Purchasing Organizations, Group Buying Organizations, etc., dated June 12, 2012.

10/19/2016
Resource | Guidance Documents Meaningful Access for Persons with Limited English Proficiency in the School Meal Programs: Guidance and Q&As

This memorandum consolidates and supersedes previous LEP guidance and incorporates previously released USDA and FNA guidance. FNA is issuing this guidance in a Q&A format to provide responses to questions that FNA has received regarding communications with LEP individuals.

05/25/2016
Resource | Guidance Documents Questions and Answers on the Transition to and Implementation of 2 CFR Part 200

FNA has received many questions related to implementation of 2 CFR Part 200 and understands that changes to financial and procurement systems are costly and require time to develop and implement. Therefore, FNA will work with state agencies during this transition period and will seek to answer questions and provide guidance as needed. 

10/30/2015
Page updated: June 02, 2026