[DoubleTap]

Children who are Michigan Family Independence Program recipients, Food Stamp, or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations households, or enrolled in Head Start, Even Start, an At-Risk afterschool center, or an emergency shelter, automatically qualify for free meals. Households with incomes less than or equal to the following guidelines qualify for free or reduced price meals or free milk.
[CENTER] Scale for Free Meals or Free Milk

Scale for Reduced Price Meals
Total Family Size
[CENTER]Annual[/CENTER]
[CENTER]Monthly[/CENTER]
[CENTER] [/CENTER]
[CENTER]Annual[/CENTER]
[CENTER]Monthly[/CENTER]
[CENTER]1[/CENTER]
$13,520
$1,127

$19,240
$1,604
[CENTER]2[/CENTER]
$18,200
$1,517

$25,900
$2,159
[CENTER]3[/CENTER]
$22,880
$1,907

$32,560
$2,714
[CENTER]4[/CENTER]
$27,560
$2,297

$39,220
$3,269
[CENTER]5[/CENTER]
$32,240
$2,687

$45,880
$3,824
[CENTER]6[/CENTER]
$36,920
$3,077

$52,540
$4,379
[CENTER]7[/CENTER]
$41,600
$3,467

$59,200
$4,934
[CENTER]8[/CENTER]
$46,280
$3,857

$65,860
$5,489
For each additional household member add:

$4,680
$390

$6,660
$555
[/CENTER]
An application to a school or child care center can be approved if it contains complete documentation of household income, or documentation of current participation in the Michigan Family Independence Program, Food Stamps, or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations. Foster children usually qualify for free meals or free milk without regard to the foster parents’ income. Information supplied on an application for free or reduced-price meals may be verified at any time. An appeal procedure is available for households where applications are denied.



Entitlement? Since when aren't children entitled to food? I don't care what they wear on their feet, or what they arrive at school in, a hungry kid is a hungry kid. Feed them.

[DoubleTap]

Aside from kids being hungry, schools depend on the extra money they get from Title I and Section 31a funds. Both of which are dependent on the number of free lunch forms returned to schools. The more free lunch forms that get approved, the more money a school will get from the government, which in turn acts to defray state budget cuts. With education budgets being at the top of government slash lists, the extra money from Title I can provide teacher service, instructional support, books and materials, parental support, enrichment activities, etc. The fact that hungry children get a free meal out of the deal makes the money even better spent.