Access

1
Access

• Direct Certification
• Discretionary Certification
• Migrant, Homeless, Runaway Youth
• Descriptive Materials
• Duration of Eligibility
• LEA

2
Direct Certification
3
Mandatory Direct Certification for Food Stamp
Households

• Requires Local Educational Agencies (LEA) to
  directly certify as eligible for free meals any
  child who is a member of a food stamp household
  without further application.

4
Discretionary Direct Certification

• Any LEA may certify any child as eligible for
  free meals without further application by
  directly communicating with the State or local
  agency to determine the childs status as
• a TANF family member
• homeless
• served by certain runaway orhomeless youth
  programs
• a migrant

5
Runaways, Homeless, andMigrant Youth

• Extends categorical eligibility for free meals to
  youth who are
• Homeless
• Runaway
• Migrants

6
Runaways, Homeless, andMigrant Youth (cont.)

• Documentation
• Often documentation is through Homeless Liaison
• Issued implementation memos
• EffectiveJuly 1, 2004

7
Application Materials

• Requires that descriptive materials notify
  parents that
• participants in the WIC, Food Stamp, FDPIR, and
  State TANF programs may be eligible for free or
  reduced-price school meals and that
• documentation may be requested for verification
  of eligibility.
• Application materials may be available on the
  Internet.
• Effective July 1, 2005

8
Application Materials

• Requires all communications on certification and
  verification be uniform and, to the extent
  practicable, in other languages.
• Effective July 1, 2005.

9
Duration of Eligibility for Free or Reduced Price
Meals Sec. 106

• Eligibility for free/ reduced price school meals
  remains valid for 1 year for most students
• Eligibility in effect upon approval for the
  current school year and ending on a date during
  the next school year determined by USDA

10
Duration of Eligibility for Free or Reduced Price
Meals (cont.)

• Documentation for verification
• At any point in time between the month prior to
  application and the time documentation is required

11
Duration of Eligibility for Free or Reduced Price
Meals (cont.)

• An exceptionfor caseswhereverificationactivit
  iesindicateineligibility.
• Effective July 1, 2004.
• Implementation memo issued.

12
Certification by Local Educational Agencies Sec.
108

• Certification by Local Educational Agencies
  (LEAs)
• Defines LEA as that in the Elementary and
  Secondary Education Act of 1965
• Changes school food authority to LEA for purposes
  of
• Certification
• Verification
• Effective upon enactment