Politics & Government

Who Qualifies for Free or Reduced-Price School Meals?

The San Mateo County Office of Education participates in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs to provide affordable meals to the county's students.

As children to school , many of them are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals.  

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

Children from households whose income is at or below the amounts shown in the downloadable chart included in the photos section of this article are also eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

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"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.

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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, 2012, 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. 

If you have any questions 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 the National School Lunch Program, at 650-802-5588.


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