Free and Reduced Price Meal Eligibility Process: Special Approval Situations and Recordkeeping Requirements In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. For Food Distribution on Indian Reservations discrimination is also prohibited on the bases of religion and political beliefs. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C or call (800) (voice) or (202) (TTY). In the Midwest Region please notify the Regional Director, Civil Rights/EEO, 77 W. Jackson Blvd., FL 20, Chicago, IL or call (312) USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Free and Reduced Price Meals Eligibility Process There are three sections for this webcast: 1) Getting Started 2) Eligibility Certification 3) Special Approval Situations and Recordkeeping Requirements 2

General Requirement Schools participating in national School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) must make free and reduced-price meals available to eligible children Eligibility Manual (EM) page 2 3

Save These WebPages: DPI Child Nutrition Website is located at: Free and Reduced Price and Eligibility information is located at: 4

Hot Topics for new information Quick Links to frequently used topics

Eligibility Manual for School Meals January 2008 edition Download from: Check for USDA Guidance Memos at: 6 Current Resources Use the USDA materials

 Free and Reduced-Price Meals Application Packet  Income Eligibility Guidelines  Public Release 7 Download application materials annually from DPI website

Free and Reduced-Price Meal Application English Spanish Other Languages (link to USDA) “Changes to applications” must be incorporated into those in “other languages”

Free/Reduced-Price Meals Application Packet Foreign language translations are available to help households understand the application process:  Spanish - on the DPI website  Other languages – on the DPI website link to USDA website (NOTE: these have not been modified for Wisconsin) 9

Be sure to use forms for the correct year Income Eligibility guidelines Public Release

Special Approval Situations 11

Some Special Situations  Foreign Exchange Student  Joint Custody  Foster Child / Kinship Care  Adopted Child  Transfer Students from Other Schools  Self-employed/Seasonal EM pages

Foreign Exchange Students  Student is a member of the household in which they live  Household must qualify for the student to receive free or reduced-price meal benefits  If the school wants to offer the student free meals, they must be claimed in the category for which the household qualifies and be paid for with non-food service funds EM page 32 13

Joint Custody A custodial parent must apply for benefits If both households are custodial and apply, the student receives the greatest benefit level no matter which household they are living in at the time A non-custodial parent may be made aware of eligibility status, but not the specific information provided on the application EM page 32 14

Extending Eligibility: Joint Custody ♦ If child actually receives FoodShare, FDPIR or W-2 cash assistance in one household any other children in that household are extended free benefits ♦ When child lives part-time in second household all other children in that household are also extended free benefits ♦ Must document household composition and basis for extending benefits USDA Policy Memorandum SP

Extending Eligibility: Joint Custody ♦ If child does not receive FoodShare, FDPIR or W- 2 cash assistance in one household but another person in that household does, all children in that household are extended free benefits ♦ When this child lives part-time in a second household all other children in that household are not extended free benefits. ♦ Must document household composition and basis for not extending benefits USDA Policy Memorandum SP

Household of One  Emancipated Child – living alone or as a separate economic unit  Foster Child (not Kinship Care) – living with a household but the legal responsibility remains with welfare agency or court  Institutionalized Child – resides in a residential type facility (RCCI, Group Home, etc.) that is not a boarding school EM pages

18 Foster Child/Kinship Care/Adoption Information is located on the DPI website at:

Foster Child Child is a ward of the court or welfare agency Child is considered a household of one Must complete one application for each foster child (even if more than one lives with the same Foster Parents) EM page 32 19

20 PART 1. ALL HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS (USE A SEPARATE APPLICATION FOR EACH FOSTER CHILD) DO NOT LIST: FORWARD OR QUEST CARD NUMBERS; OR MEDICAID, SSI, W-2 CHILDCARE CASE NUMBERS. PLEASE FILL IN PART 4 IF YOU ARE NOT RECEIVING FoodShare, W-2 CASH BENEFITS OR FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM ON INDIAN RESERVATIONS (FDIPR) AT THIS TIME. Names of household members (First, Middle Initial, Last) School Name for Each Child FoodShare, W-2 Cash Benefits or FDPIR case number for any member of the household. If you list a case number, s kip to Part 5 CHECK IF NO INCOME PART 2. IF ANY CHILD YOU ARE APPLYING FOR IS HOMELESS, MIGRANT, OR A RUNAWAY CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX AND CALL [YOUR SCHOOL, HOMELESS LIAISON, MIGRANT COORDINATOR AT PHONE #] HOMELESS  MIGRANT  RUNAWAY  PART 3. FOSTER CHILD If this application is for a child who is the legal responsibility of a welfare agency or court, check this box  and then list the amount of the child’s personal use monthly income: $__________.  Check if no income. Skip to Part 5. PART 4. TOTAL HOUSEHOLD GROSS INCOME. You must tell us how much and how often 1. NAME (List all household members with income) 2. GROSS INCOME AND HOW OFTEN IT WAS RECEIVED Earnings From Work before deductionsWelfare, child support, alimony Pensions, retirement, Social Security, SSI, VA benefitsAll Other Income (Example) Jane Smith $ /weekly __$ /every other week $ 99.99/monthly ____ $______­­­­­______/________ PART 5. SIGNATURE AND SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER (ADULT MUST SIGN) An adult household member must sign the application. If Part 4 is completed, the adult signing the form also must list his or her Social Security Number or mark the “I do not have a Social Security Number” box. (See Privacy Act Statement on the back of this page.) I certify (promise) that all information on this application is true and that all income is reported. I understand that the school will get Federal funds based on the information I give. I understand that school officials may verify (check) the information. I understand that if I purposely give false information, my children may lose meal benefits, and I may be prosecuted. Sign here: ______________________________________________________________________ Print name:____________________________________________________________________ Date: ____________________________ Address:_____________________________________________________________________________________ Phone Number:_______________________ City:___________________________________________________________________________ State:__________________ Zip Code:_____________________ Social Security Number: __ __ __ - __ __ - __ __ __ __  I do not have a Social Security Number FREE AND REDUCED PRICE SCHOOL MEALS FAMILY APPLICATION Complete application: Foster Child  Name of foster child, school attending and check if no personal use income (in Part 1)  Check box for Foster Child and the amount of personal use income, if any (in Part 3)  Signature of adult household member or official of court or agency responsible for the child (in Part 5)  SS# of person signing is not required (in Part 5) Must use a separate application for each foster child

Kinship Care Child Child is the legal responsibility of someone in the household in which they live Child may qualify free if household receives FoodShare, W-2 cash assistance, or FDPIR Entire “household” must be included on an income application to qualify 21

Adopted Child  An adopted child is legally part of the adoptive household  The entire household must be included on application  The subsidy amount for a “subsidized adoption” must be included as household income EM pages 31, 38 22

Foster Child to Adopted Child A foster child at the beginning of the school year is adopted during the year.  “Adopted child” is then considered part of the household and no longer a “household of one”  Under “duration” the former foster child remains free eligible the remainder of the current school year and the 30 day carry-over (or until a new determination is made in next school year) EM page 31 23

24 Transfer Students  May continue to receive benefits for the rest of current school year and 30 day carry-over to next  School or district must receive a copy of the original application and review to determine that it was correctly approved  School or district must receive a copy of the Direct Certification list showing the name of the student (only acceptable if from the same state) Confidentiality of other students on list must be maintained EM page 25

Self-Employed Workers Can use previous year income tax for business or farming if current income is similar Self-Employed workers are allowed to use Net Profit or Loss from Schedule C for Business or Schedule F for Farming as their business or farm income A business or farming “loss” becomes “0” and cannot be deducted from other current sources of income Cannot use “adjusted gross income” from taxes EM page 34 25

Self-Employed/Seasonal Workers Seasonal workers with irregular income are allowed to use previous year income tax if income is expected to be similar Seasonal workers with irregular income that is not similar to the past year may project annual income 26

27 Recordkeeping Requirements

Benefit Issuance List List of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals MUST include: - student name - free/reduced-price/paid eligibility - date of approval/eligibility effective - dates of any subsequent changes 28

Benefit Issuance List List can be in any format as long as the required information is included Computerized counting and claiming systems should be able to generate a Benefit Issuance List 29

30 Sample Benefit Issuance List

Benefit Issuance  Must be updated when changes occur in eligibility, student transfers or withdraws  Share student eligibility only with the school or program personnel who “need to know” EM part 7 pages

Benefit Issuance Eligibility becomes effective:  Date application is signed as approved  Date Direct Certification list is processed  Eligibility cannot be backdated to an earlier date  30 day carry-over rule applies EM page 21 32

Recordkeeping All Direct Certification, application, other certification and benefit issuance documentation must be: retrievable by school kept on file for 3 previous school years plus the current school year (or for 3 years after the final claim or until audit resolution) EM page 24, 50 33

The Free and Reduced-Price Meal Eligibility Process Other Training Opportunities DPI Trainings Summer Classes Webcast Sessions

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