Your child may be eligible to participate in the National School Breakfast and Lunch Program which allows students to receive nutritious meals free or at a reduced price.   All meals served meet patterns established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

If you currently receive food stamps or TANF (formally AFDC), your child will qualify for free meals. Foster children may also receive free or reduced price meals regardless of your income.  The reduced price is $.30 for breakfast and $.40 for lunch.

To receive free or reduced meals for your child, you must complete a Household Application and return it to the school. Eligibility is based on household income. We cannot approve any application that is not complete.

If your child has been determined by a physician to be disabled and the disability would prevent the child from eating the regular school meal, the school will make any substitution prescribed by the physician. There is no extra charge for meal substitution.

HOW TO APPLY
Applications are available through the office of your child's school or Food Service Dept.

If you now receive Food Stamps or TANF Cash Assistance for the child for whom you are applying, the Household Application must have the child's name, a Food Stamp or TANF Case Number and the signature of an adult household member.

If you are applying for a foster child, the Household Application must have the child's name, the child's "personal use" income and an adult signature.

If you do not list a Food Stamp or TANF Case Number for each child listed in Part of the Household Application, then the Household Application must have the names of the children, the names of all household members, the amount of income each person received last month and the income each person received last month and the income source, the signature of an adult household member and that adult's social security number or the word "none" if the adult does not have a social security number.

VERIFICATION
Your eligibility may be checked at any time during the school year.  School officials may ask you to send documentation that your child is eligible to receive free or reduced price meals.

FAIR HEARING
You may talk to school officials if you do not agree with the school's decision on your Household Application or the results of verification. You may also ask for a fair hearing.
You may do this by calling to writing to:

Mr. Ray Scarpantonir
Human Resources
1200 N. Fifth St.
Perkasie, PA 18944
(215) 453-2368

REPORTING CHANGES
If your child receives free or reduced price meals because of your income, you must tell the school if your household size decreases or your income increases by more than $50 per month or $600 per year. If your child receives meals because you receive Food Stamps or TANF benefits, you must tell the school if these benefits are discontinued. You may complete another Household Application giving income information.

CONFIDENTIALITY
School officials will use the information on the Household Application to decide if your child is eligible to receive free or reduced price meals. The eligibility status of your child may be given to local Title I officials for allocation and evaluation purposes.

REAPPLICATION
You may apply for this program anytime during the school year. If you are not presently eligible but have a change during this school year, such as a decrease in household income, an increase in household size, unemployment or receiving Food Stamps or TANF benefits for your child, you may complete a Household Application at that time.

You will be notified if your Household Application is approved or denied.

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