2025 USDA Policy Memos
These resources are developed by United States Department of Agriculture to ensure compliance with all relevant federal laws, executive orders, directives, and policies related to the Child Nutrition Programs. Regulations and policy memos offer guidance and clarifications for State Agencies and sponsors operating these programs:
- National School Lunch Program (NSLP),
- School Breakfast Program (SBP),
- Child & Adult Care Food Program (CACFP),
- Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), and
- Seamless Summer Option (SSO).
Policy Memo Number | Title | Release Date | Description | Newsletter | Program | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SP 18-2025 | This memo has been revised to update guidance on fees charged when families use electronic payment services to add money to student meal accounts. This memo rescinds SP 04-2025. |
National School Lunch Program (NSLP) | ||||
SP 17-2025 | This memo updates guidance on reimbursement for school meals that are served or consumed off-site. This memo clarifies that children participating in off-site extracurricular activities during breakfast or lunch periods can bring reimbursable meals from school with them to the activity. |
National School Lunch Program (NSLP) | ||||
SP 16-2025 | FFVP funding has been allocated for Fiscal Year 2026. |
National School Lunch Program (NSLP) | ||||
SP 15-2025 | This memo clarifies state-level meal pattern standards can be implemented in addition to the USDA meal pattern requirements. Washington state does not currently have additional state-level meal pattern standards. |
National School Lunch Program (NSLP) | ||||
SP 14-2025 | USDA released . OVS gives students more control over their meal choices while boosting participation and limiting food waste. Resources on OVS include: |
National School Lunch Program (NSLP) | ||||
SP 10-2025, CACFP 08-2025, SFSP 04-2025 | This memo rescinds SP 07-2022, CACFP 06-2022, SFSP 02-2022: Promoting Access to Voting through the Child Nutrition Programs. |
National School Lunch Program (NSLP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) | ||||
SP 13-2025, CACFP 10-2025, SFSP 06-2025 | USDA released . There are no significant changes to program operations for SY 2025–26. |
National School Lunch Program (NSLP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) | ||||
SP 12-2025 | This policy memo provides guidance to state agencies and school food authorities on the paid lunch equity (PLE) requirements for school year 2025-26. This memo explains the PLE exemption provided in Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 () (the 2025 Appropriations Act), March 15, 2025. This memo also provides guidance for SFAs that do not qualify for the exemption. |
National School Lunch Program (NSLP) | ||||
SP 11-2025, CACFP 09-2025, SFSP 05-2025 | This policy memo reminds schools, sponsors, and institutions participating in a USDA Child Nutrition Program, including NSLP, SBP, FFVP, SMP, CACFP, SFSP and SSO, of the many ways they can purchase local foods to serve in Program meals. |
National School Lunch Program (NSLP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) | ||||
SP 09-2025 | This memo provides guidance on the school year 2025-26 Buy American accommodation process in 7 CFR 210.21(d)(8) and 7 CFR 220.16(d)(8). The accommodation process provides the state agency the ability to approve temporary relief for school food authorities that demonstrate they cannot meet the thresholds for non-domestic food purchases established in 7 CFR 210.21(d)(5) and 7 CFR 220.16(d)(5). |
National School Lunch Program (NSLP) | ||||
SFSP 03-2025, SP 08-2025 | This memo is a set of questions and answers on the rural non-congregate summer meals option established through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. This provides clarification on rural non-congregate requirements. |
National School Lunch Program (NSLP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) | ||||
SP 03-2025, CACFP 03-2025, SFSP 01-2025 | Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) | |||||
SP 07-2025, CACFP 07-2025 | This memorandum outlines the requirement to accept medical statements from registered dietitians. It includes questions and answers to help program operators understand the new requirements. |
National School Lunch Program (NSLP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) | ||||
CACFP 06-2025 | This memorandum updates guidance to support CACFP operations following the publication of the final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. |
Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) | ||||
CACFP 05-2025 | Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) | |||||
SP 06-2025 | National School Lunch Program (NSLP) | |||||
SP 05-2025, CACFP 04, 2025, SFSP 02-2025 | This policy memo provides Child Nutrition Program operators, including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), with additional information and clarification on the State Agency monitoring process regarding the:
|
National School Lunch Program (NSLP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) | ||||
SP 04-2025 | Fees for Electronic Payment Services in the School Meal Programs | This memorandum clarifies policy related to fees associated with electronic (online) payments in the school meal programs. |
National School Lunch Program (NSLP) | |||
CACFP 02-2025 | This memorandum outlines the use of Offer Versus Serve in adult day care and at-risk afterschool settings and the use of family-style meals in the CACFP. |
Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) | ||||
CACFP 01-2025 | This memorandum provides questions and answers about requirements for fluid milk and fluid milk substitutions. |
Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) | ||||
SP 02-2025 | This memorandum provides updated guidance on the substitution of vegetables for fruits in the School Breakfast Program (SBP). |
National School Lunch Program (NSLP) | ||||
SP 1-2025 | This memorandum updates and clarifies current guidance for fluid milk requirements in school meal programs. |
National School Lunch Program (NSLP) |