Participation in Food and Nutrition Programs (FNS) involves an approval and verification process. Household eligibility forms and letters, family size/income guidelines, instructions and question-and-answer documents are available to assist in determining eligibility for participation, This includes tier eligibility of providers and/or enrolled children. Enrollment documents are also available.

The tier eligibility map can help determine a provider’s location and potential rate of reimbursement (tier eligibility).

U.S. Department of Agriculture Memos
Links to key USDA memos on Household Income Statements are provided below. See the USDA Policy page for a complete set of USDA memos for the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

• Categorical Eligibility of Foster Children (CACFP 08-2011)
• Disclosure Requirements for the Child Nutrition Programs (CACFP 17-2010)
• Q&A on Extending Categorical Eligibility to Additional Children in a Household (CACFP 11-2010)
• Automatic Eligibility for Early Head Start Participants (CACFP 10-2008)
• Automatic Eligibility for Free Meal Benefits Extended to All Children Enrolled in Head Start (CACFP 7-2008)
   

• Provider Participation After Relocation or License Expiration 
  Family Day Care Home providers may continue to participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program for a limited period of time while relocating to a new home or while a child care license is being renewed.
• Income Eligibility Guidelines and Forms 
  Household income eligibility guidelines and Household Income Statement forms that determine eligibility for Child and Adult Care Food Program tier 1 reimbursement for home providers.
• Meals Served to Provider’s Own Children – Memos 
  Restrictions on claiming Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) reimbursement for meals served to provider's own children - October 1990 and March 2009 memos.
• Eligibility Guidance for Family Day Care Homes 
  U.S. Department of Agriculture guidance on responsibilities of family day care homes participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program for determining participant eligibility for free and reduced-price meals.
• Extending Categorical Eligibility 
  Extending a child's categorical eligiblity for meal benefits to other children in the same household - May 2010 memo
• Sharing Income Eligibility Information 
  Data on children qualified for meal benefits may be shared between organizations that administer federal child nutrition programs. For example, a school participating in the National School Lunch Program may share data on students eligible for free and reduced-price school meals with an organization that sponsors other federal child nutrition programs - February 2008.
• Disclosure Requirements for the Child Nutrition Programs 
  Statutory and regulatory requirements for disclosure of information concerning children who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals.
• Extending Categorical Eligibility to Additional Children in a Household 
  U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) memo modifying categorical eligibility policy for households receiving assistance under Food Assistance (Stamps), Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) or the Minnesota Family Investment Program