Overview

School Nutrition Programs | Program Guidance | Forms | Resources | Nutrition Education

Thousands of children across Connecticut participate in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Child Nutrition Programs each day, receiving benefits that make an important contribution to their overall nutrition and academic success. The forms, policy guidance, and instructions in the Documents/Forms section provide information on the federal and state requirements for free and reduced-price meals and free milk. These resources assist local educational agencies (LEAs) and other program sponsors with determining children's eligibility for free and reduced-price meals and free milk in the USDA Child Nutrition Programs, based on the federal regulations 7 CFR 245, Determining Eligibility for Free and Reduced Price Meals and Free Milk in Schools.

Guidance for School Food Authorities

Application Forms  |   Civil Rights  |   Processing Applications and Notifying Households
Eligibility  |   Disclosure  |   Limited English Proficiency (LEP)

• Application Forms for Free and Reduced Meals and Milk
  • Go to the Documents/Forms section in the left navigation bar.
• Civil Rights
  • Civil Rights for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
• Processing Applications and Notifying Households
  • Carryover versus Transfer of a Child’s Eligibility (CSDE)
  • Important Points for Notifying Parents of a Child’s Free or Reduced-price Eligibility (CSDE)
  • Procedures for Processing Free and Reduced-price Meal Applications Providing a SNAP/TFA Number (CSDE)
• Eligibility
  • Eligibility Manual for School Meals (USDA)
  • Income Guidelines for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE webpage)
  • Considerations when Implementing Online Web-based Applications (CSDE)
  • USDA Memo SP 45-2012: Preventing Overt Identification of Children Certified for Free or Reduced Price School Meals
  • USDA Regulations 7 CFR 245: Determining Eligibility for Free and Reduced Price Meals and Free Milk in Schools.
• Disclosure
  • Disclosure Release Request for Free or Reduced Eligibility Status (CSDE)
  • Final Rule (72 FR 10885): Disclosure of Children's Free and Reduced Price Meals and Free Milk Eligibility Information in the Child Nutrition Programs
  • USDA Memo SP 16-2016, CACFP 06-2016 and SFSP 10-2016: Disclosure Requirements for the Child Nutrition Programs
• Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
  
  • Taglines and Providing Meaningful Access to the Child Nutrition Programs  (CSDE)
  • Sample Taglines Form (CSDE)
  • More resources: See the Limited English Proficiency (LEP) section of the CSDE's Civil Rights for Child Nutrition Programs webpage
• Promotional Handout
  • It's More Than a Meal (CSDE) 
    Encourages households to submit a free/reduced-price meal application 

Nondiscrimination Statements (USDA and CSDE)