The Guide to Professional Standards for School Nutrition Programs includes training reward badges – a fun way to promote training and recognize staff who have completed their annual requirements.

A central resource outlining the USDA Professional Standards requirements for state and local school nutrition professionals.

This rulemaking proposes to codify three menu planning flexibilities established by the interim final rule titled, Child Nutrition Programs: Flexibilities for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium Requirements published Nov. 30, 2017, and made permanent with some modifications by a final rule of the same title published Dec. 12, 2018, hereafter referred to as the 2018 Final Rule. An April 2020 court decision vacated and remanded the 2018 Final Rule.

This notice announces the annual adjustments to the national average payment rates for meals and snacks served in child care centers, outside-school-hours care centers, at-risk afterschool care centers, and adult day care centers; the food service payment rates for meals and snacks served in day care homes; and the administrative reimbursement rates for sponsoring organizations of day care homes, to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index. 

This notice announces the annual adjustments to the national average payments, the amount of money the Federal Government provides states for lunches, afterschool snacks, and breakfasts served to children participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs; to the maximum reimbursement rates, the maximum per lunch rate from federal funds that a state can provide a school food authority for lunches served to children participating in the National School Lunch Program; and to the rate of reimbursement for a half-pint of milk served to non-needy children in a school or institution that participates in the Special Milk Program for Children.

This notice announces the national average value of donated foods or, where applicable, cash in lieu of donated foods, to be provided in school year 2021 (July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021) for each lunch served by schools participating in the National School Lunch Program, and for each lunch and supper served by institutions participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

During the inaugural year of Farm to Food Bank Project funding, FNS allocated $3,752,000 amongst the 19 TEFAP state agencies that submitted plans to implement Farm to Food Bank Projects. These 19 state agencies are identified in this resource. 

This Q&A memorandum is designed to provide an overview of the policies related to the Professional Standards regulations for state and local school nutrition program personnel.