Community eligibility Program (CEP)
Community eligibility program (CEP) is a powerful new federal provision that allows school districts to offer meals at no charge to all students in high free and reduced district. After the first two years of implementation, more than 2,000 schools serving nearly 1 million children have adopted community eligibility in the first seven states that offered it. In schools that have operated under community eligibility for two years, lunch participation increased by 13 percent breakfast participation increased by 25 percent.
Under CEP school meal applications will no longer be required for the child nutrition program.