FRAC-USDA Eases School Lunch Program Rules to Facilitate Participation for Victims of Hurricane Katrina

USDA Eases School Lunch Program Rules to Help Facilitate Participation for Victims of Hurricane Katrina

USDA has quickly responded to the devastation left behind by Hurricane Katrina by issuing a policy memorandum reducing barriers to feeding school children in affected areas. This policy memorandum eases National School Lunch program requirements that simply can not be met in the face of this disaster including meal components, record keeping, enrollment and location requirements. The policy provides the following flexibility for the National School Lunch Program in affected areas:

Schools in the disaster area unable to maintain normal accountability systems and which are able to operate will be allowed to serve all meals free to attending children. This waiver is valid through September 30, 2005.

Meal pattern flexibility is allowable. Schools may be exempt from the milk and other component requirements. In addition, flexibility is allowed as to time of meal service and offer versus serve.

Households certified for emergency food stamps are automatically eligible for free school meals. See FRAC’s Advocate’s Guide to the Disaster Food Stamp Program.

When there are large numbers of homeless families and children because of property loss or damage, school officials may keep a list to document free meal eligibility, in lieu of individual applications (this is current policy for homeless children).

In cases where a household from a designated disaster area moves in with another household the displaced individuals may be considered homeless and consequently automatically eligible for free meals. However, the host family would have to provide a revised application (and can include those displaced by the disaster as long as any income provided to the host family is also included on the application) in order to be eligible for free or reduced price meal benefits.

For those areas not immediately affected by the hurricane, but which have individuals displaced by the disaster, if a free and reduced price meal application cannot be obtained from the household, school officials may complete the application on behalf of the child based on the best available knowledge of the household's economic circumstances.”

For more information:

USDA policy memorandum, "Emergency Feeding of School Children in Areas Devastated by Hurricane Katrina"