To
assist States in providing a nutritious nonprofit breakfast service
for school children, through cash grants and food donations.
TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE:
Formula Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES
AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
Federally
appropriated School Breakfast Program funds are available to reimburse
participating public and nonprofit private schools, of high school
grade and under and residential child care institutions, for breakfasts,
meeting the nutritional requirements prescribed by the Secretary
of Agriculture, served to eligible children. The rates of reimbursement
are adjusted on an annual basis to reflect changes in the Food Away
From Home series of the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers.
For the period July 1, 2001 through June 30, 2002, the rates of
reimbursement are 21.00 cents for paid breakfasts, 85.00 cents for
each reduced price breakfast, and 114.00 cents for each free breakfast.
The maximum reduced price charged for breakfast is 30 cents. Schools
serving 40 percent or more free and reduced price lunches in the
second preceding school year, and where breakfast per meal costs
exceed the regular reimbursement rate, get up to 107.00 cents and
137.00 cents for each breakfast served to children qualifying, respectively,
for a reduced price and a free breakfast. All participating schools
must agree to serve free and reduced price meals to eligible children,
and to operate the program on a nonprofit basis for all children
regardless of race, sex, color, National origin, age, or disability.
ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant
Eligibility: State and U.S. Territory agencies;
(except territories subject to the requirements to the Compact of
Free Association) public and nonprofit private schools of high school
grade and under; public and nonprofit private residential child
care institutions, except Job Corps Centers; residential summer
camps that participate in the Summer Food Service Program for Children;
and private foster homes. Schools desiring to participate must agree
to operate a nonprofit breakfast program that is available to all
children regardless of race, sex, color, National origin, age, or
disability.
Beneficiary
Eligibility: All children attending schools
where the breakfast program is operating may participate. Breakfast
is served free to children who are determined by local school
authorities to have household income levels at or below 130, or
at a reduced price to children from households with incomes higher
than 130 and at or below 185, percent of the income eligibility
guidelines, respectively. Meals served to non-needy children also
get cash assistance (21.00 cents for the school year ending June
30, 2002). Such determinations are made in accordance with income
eligibility guidelines prescribed by the Secretary and cross reference
household income with household size. The Secretary prescribes
these income eligibility guidelines by June 1; the statistical
source used in making such revisions is the Federal Income Poverty
Guidelines. Children from households certified to receive food
stamps, the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations,
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (formerly known as Aid
to Families with Dependent Children) and some children in Head
Start Programs are automatically eligible for free meals.
Credentials/Documentation:
Applicant organizations must furnish evidence of nonprofit status.
Costs will be determined in accordance with USDA Uniform Federal
Assistance Regulations (7 CFR Part 3015 or 3016 and 3019).
Pre-application
Coordination: The application forms as furnished
by the State agency or FNS, as applicable, must be used for this
program. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372,
"Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should
consult the office or official designated as the single point of
contact in his or her State for more information on the process
the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance.
Application
Procedure: Public schools in all States make
application to the State Educational Agency unless the State applies
or is approved for a waiver to designate an alternate agency.
Appropriate forms may be obtained from this agency. Nonprofit
private schools should also apply to the State Educational Agency
in most States. In some States, however, the State Educational
Agency is prohibited by statute from disbursing Federal funds
to nonprofit private schools. In such instances, the application
will be referred to the alternate State agency or the appropriate
Food and Nutrition Service regional office.
Award
Procedure: When application is approved, schools
make agreements with appropriate agency.
Deadlines:
Federal-State agreement must be signed.
Range
of Approval/Disapproval Time: Agreements become
effective upon approval by the State Agency or Food and Nutrition
Service regional office, where applicable.
Appeals:
None. The State Agency or Food and Nutrition Service regional
office, where applicable, is responsible for determining a school's
eligibility.
Renewals:
Permanent, amended as necessary.
ASSISTANCE
CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula
and Matching Requirements: Federal funds are
made available for breakfast assistance in accordance with Section
4 of the Child Nutrition Act on a performance basis by: (1) multiplying
the number of paid breakfasts served to eligible children during
the fiscal year by a National Average Payment (NAP); (2) multiplying
the number of breakfasts served free to eligible children by a NAP
prescribed by the Secretary for free breakfasts; and, (3) multiplying
the number of reduced price breakfasts served to eligible children
by a NAP prescribed by the Secretary for reduced-priced breakfasts.
The amount of Federal funds given the grantee is the sum of the
products obtained from these three computations, plus an additional
6 cents for every breakfast served. Schools with a high percentage
of needy children and high breakfast costs may receive additional
payments. The statistical factors used in this formula are: (1)
The NAP's; (2) the number of paid breakfasts served; and (3) the
number of breakfasts served free or at reduced price to eligible
children. The NAP's are prescribed by the Secretary and adjusted
each July 1, in accordance with the Food Away From Home component
of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. The source
of this adjustment factor is the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The
source of the numbers of breakfasts served, including the number
served free or at reduced price, is the monthly programmatic reports
submitted to Food and Nutrition Service and described under "Post
Assistance Requirements." This program has no maintenance of effort
(MOE) requirements.
Length
and Time Phasing of Assistance: For the period
covered by the agreement on a fiscal-year basis.
POST
ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports:
State Agencies, schools and institutions file monthly reports on
the number of meals served, by type, to claim for reimbursement.
Schools and institutions must submit final meal claims to the State
no later than 60 days after claiming month. States must submit final
program reports to Food and Nutrition Service no later than 90 days
after the claiming month. States must submit a final fiscal year
grant closeout report to Food and Nutrition Service no later than
120 days after the end of the fiscal year to which they pertain.
Audits:
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133,
"Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-profit Organizations,"
State and local governments, and non profit organizations that
expended $300,000 or more under Federal awards within any fiscal
year shall have either a single audit or (in certain cases) a
program specific audit made for that year. Audits may be conducted
less frequent under conditions specified in A-133.
Records:
Schools must maintain full and accurate records of the breakfast
program. Such records shall be retained for a period of 3 years
after the end of the fiscal year to which they pertain, except
that if audit findings have not been resolved, records shall be
retained beyond the 3 year period until audit findings have been
resolved.
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION:
Account
Identification: 12-3539-0-1-605.
Obligations:
(Grants) FY 01 $1,468,200,222; FY 02 est $1,574,654,000; and FY
03 est $1,660,870,000.
Range
and Average of Financial Assistance:
Average Federal cash assistance for school year 2001 was 110.5
cents per meal, and ranged from 21.0 to 133.0 cents per meal depending
upon income levels of the individual participant and upon the
number of free and reduced price meals served by the school. Individual
State grants vary according to participation in the program.
The number of schools and children participating in the breakfast
program has been increasing. In fiscal year 2000, 1,296 million
breakfasts were served, 84.2 percent to needy children. Since 1995,
school breakfasts have been required to provide, over a school week,
1/4 of the Recommended Dietary Allowances for Key Nutrients and
1/4 of the calories needed by growing children. They also must conform
to the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans,
including limitations on calories from fat (no more than 30 percent
of total calories) average over a school week and saturated fat
(less than 10 percent of total calories).
REGULATIONS,
GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
Regulations 7 CFR Part 220-School Breakfast Program regulations,
7 CFR Part 245-Determining Eligibility for Free and Reduced Price
Meals and Free Milk in Schools.
INFORMATION
CONTACTS:
Regional
or Local Office: See Appendix IV of the Catalog.
Headquarters
Office: Director, Child Nutrition Division,
Food and Nutrition Service, Department of Agriculture, Alexandria,
VA 22302. Telephone: (703) 305-2590. Contact: Stanley C. Garnett,
Director.
