Free and Reduced Lunch for Homeless and Migrant Students

Homeless children and youth are eligible to receive free school lunch immediately upon their enrollment and/or identification as being in a homeless situation. Meals can and should begin immediately.

The following policy was developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is called Guidance on Role of Educational Agency Liaison in Documenting Eligibility of Homeless Children for Child Nutrition Program Benefits. This policy states:

"To expedite the delivery of nutritional benefits, public school determining officials may accept documentation that the children are homeless from the local education agency homeless liaison or from directors of homeless shelters where the child reside. Documentation to substantiate free meal eligibility must consist of the child's name or a list of names, effective date(s), and the signature of the homeless liaison or the director of the homeless shelter. This documentation is acceptable in lieu of a free and reduced price meal application in order to claim reimbursement in the free meal category. Students whose eligibility for free meals is established by this process are exempt from verification."

"The homeless liaison is the key element in implementing the provisions described above in public schools. It is up to the homeless liaison to determine whether children and youth are homeless as defined by the McKinney-Vento Act. Once the homeless liaison determines a child or youth is homeless as defined by the Act, it obligates the public school to provide the child or youth with certain benefits. Therefore, the liaison must carefully evaluate each child's situation."

Update on Free Meals for Homeless and Migrant Students (9/06)

Once an LEA or school official establishes a child's eligibility as homeless, runaway or migrant, that eligibility remains in effect for the entire school year, provided the child was correctly certified.   USDA Policy Memo #05-01

For questions about this information, contact Mary M. Maronek (608) 261-6322

Last updated on 2/22/2008 1:57:19 PM