County Offers Helping Hand With School Lunches

The County Office of Education has notified households of its students that children in households receiving assistance under the CalFresh (Food Stamp) Program, California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKS), Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payments (Kin-GAP) or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) will be provided free benefits unless the household notifies the County Office program that it chooses to decline the benefits. 

Children from households whose income is at or below the amounts shown in the tables below are also eligible for free or reduced-price meals.  "Household" means a group of related or non-related individuals who are living as one economic unit and sharing living expenses that include rent, utilities, clothing, food and doctor bills.

A foster care child who is the legal responsibility of a welfare agency or a ward of the court may be eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals regardless of household income.  Foster children must apply separately from other children in the household, and their eligibility will be based upon their "personal use" income.

Households with children enrolled in County Office of Education programs that have not received an application or notification from the County Office by October 1, 2013, may obtain an application form and instructions for completing it from the administrative office of their child's program. Applications may be submitted at any time during the year. 

For more information about these free or reduced-price meal programs for students enrolled in County Office of Education programs, call either the administrator of your child's program or Loriann Villanis, Coordinator of National School Lunch Program at 650-802-5588.