National School Lunch Program Utah
Federal School Lunch Program Eligibility
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National School Breakfast Program

Nutrition Services Division Management Bulletin

Purpose: Policy, Beneficial Information

This web page contains School Nutrition Programs (SNP) eligibility information and policies for local educational agencies (LEA) that participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Afterschool Meal Supplements under the NSLP, Special Milk Program (SMP), and State Meal Program. These programs provide nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day. NSLP was established under the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946 and provide per-meal reimbursement for meals served in compliance with USDA requirements. Children in households with incomes at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible for free school meals. Children in households with incomes between 130 to 185 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible for reduced-price school meals and can be charged no more than 30 cents for breakfast and 40 cents for lunch.

Date: May 2014

Number: CNP-05-2014

To: Child Nutrition Program Sponsors

Attention: Food Program Director, Food Service Director

Reference: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Policy Memoranda SP 40‑2013, CACFP 11-2013, and SFSP 13-2013; SP 34-2008, CACFP 10-2008, and SFSP 09-2008; and SP 23-2008, CACFP 07-2008, and SFSP 08-2008; USDA Policy Letters “Automatic Eligibility of State-Funded PreKindergarten Participants for Free Meals in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, the National School Lunch Program, and the School Breakfast Program” July 22, 1999, and “Automatic Eligibility for Free Meals in the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program and Child and Adult Care Food Program for Participants in the Head Start Program” April 14, 1995; California Department of Education Management Bulletins USDA-SNP-11-2013 and USDA-SNP-08-2008

Supersedes: California Department of Education Letter to All Head Start Programs, September 18, 1995

Subject: Questions and Answers on the Participation of Head Start Programs in Child Nutrition Programs

This Management Bulletin (MB) provides consolidated guidance on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Child Nutrition Program (CNP) policy related to the Head Start Program. It includes questions and answers (Q&A) on state and federal topics related to Head Start and Early Head Start participation in the CNPs. Be sure to review this full MB.

To read USDA Policy Memorandum SP 40-2013, CACFP 11-2013, and SFSP 13-2013, please visit the USDA Q&As Regarding the Participation of Head Start Programs in Child Nutrition Programs Web page at https://www.fns.usda.gov/qas-regarding-participation-head-start-programs-child-nutrition-programs-0. For more information about the Head Start Program and Early Head Start Program, please visit the Office of Head Start (OHS) Web page at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ohs/.

Background Information

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 encourages the USDA to find ways to avoid unnecessary or duplicative paperwork in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). As part of this effort, the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) established a Paperwork Reduction Work Group. One of the workgroup’s recommendations was to consolidate policy related to Head Start and Early Head Start participation in the CNPs.

The FNS issued a Policy Memorandum to all CNPs emphasizing categorical eligibility of Head Start and Early Head Start participants. The policy ensures that these populations receive healthy and nutritious meals without undue barriers.

Questions and Answers

Do children participating in Head Start or Early Head Start need to complete additional income eligibility forms to qualify for free meals?

Children enrolled in federal and state-funded Head Start or Early Head Start Programs are categorically eligible to receive free meal benefits without further application or eligibility determination. Categorical eligibility means Meal Benefit Forms are not required.

Eligibility determinations for the CNPs are made on an annual basis. As long as the child is enrolled in Head Start or Early Head Start at the time the annual eligibility determination is made, all reimbursable meals served to that child may be claimed at the free rate.

Institutions, sponsors, and school food authorities may establish eligibility of all Head Start enrollees through documentation provided by the Head Start program. Forms of acceptable documentation include:

Approved Head Start application
Statement of Head Start enrollment
List of participants from a Head Start official

If a child who is eligible for Head Start benefits also attends a child care center or day care home, is the child automatically eligible for free CACFP meals at the child care facility without further application or eligibility determination?

National School Lunch Program Utah

Yes. All CACFP reimbursable meals served to children enrolled in Head Start or Early Head Start may be claimed at the free rate by child care centers or at Tier I rates in day care homes in which they are enrolled. Documentation of acceptable Head Start eligibility must be maintained.

Are the siblings of other children who are members of a Head Start child's household automatically eligible for free CACFP meals at the child care facility without further application or eligibility determination?

Only children enrolled in Head Start are categorically eligible. Categorical eligibility based on Head Start enrollment does not extend to all children in the same household.

Can a day care home document its eligibility for Tier I reimbursement based on the provider's own child's enrollment in a Head Start Program?

The Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-134) extended categorical eligibility only to children enrolled in Head Start; therefore, a child’s Head Start enrollment does not extend to the provider.

This supersedes the guidance found in USDA’s Questions and Answers #4: Two-tier Reimbursement Structure for Family Day Care Homes Participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program May 16, 1997.

Are children who are enrolled in Head Start, but who are members of households that are above the Head Start income eligibility requirements, still eligible for CACFP meals at the free rate?

Yes. All reimbursable meals served to children enrolled in Head Start may be claimed at the free rate. Head Start serves primarily children from families with household incomes at or below the federal poverty level. However, a small proportion of children in families with household incomes above the poverty level may also be served.

Public Law 110-134 amended sections 9(b)(12)(A)(iii) and 17(c)(5) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to make any child enrolled in Head Start categorically eligible for free meals without further application or eligibility determination.

Are children enrolled in state-funded prekindergarten programs eligible for free meals?

Children participating in state-funded prekindergarten programs are not automatically eligible for free meals. In California, the income eligibility requirements for state-funded preschools are less stringent than the requirements for the Head Start Program. Therefore, determinations of eligibility for free meals for participants must be made on an individual basis.

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