Hillsides Education Center Provides Free and Reduced-Price Meals for Children Under National School Lunch or School Breakfast Program

Hillsides is now providing free or reduced meal plans for children under the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program. –Courtesy photo

Hillsides Education Center is announcing its policy for providing free and reduced-price meals for children served under the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program. Each school and/or the district/agency’s central office has a copy of the policy, which may be reviewed by any interested party on request.

Meal applications will be sent to all households with a letter informing parents or guardians of the availability of free and reduced-price meals. To apply, complete one application for all children in the household and submit to the school for processing. Additional copies are available at the school office.

Households may submit an application at any time during the school year. Information provided on the application will be used for the purpose of determining eligibility and may be verified at any time during the school year by school officials.

Children are eligible for free or reduced-price meals if their household income is less than or equal to the Income Eligibility Guidelines identified below, which will be used to determine eligibility for meal benefits. These guidelines are effective July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018.

Free and Reduced-Price Scales:

Hillsides Education Center will notify the household of their children’s eligibility for free meals if any household member receives CalFresh, California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) or Food Distribution Program Indian Reservations (FDPIR) benefits.

Households will also be notified of any child’s eligibility for free meals if the individual child is categorized as foster, homeless, migrant, runaway, enrolled in an eligible Head Start or enrolled in an eligible pre­ kindergarten class. An application is not required if a household receives the eligibility notice from school officials.

Households should contact the school immediately regarding any child in the household not included on the eligibility notice. The household must notify school officials if they choose to decline meal benefits.

Households that did not receive the eligibility notice from school officials and would like to apply for meal benefits must submit a complete free and reduced-price application for Hillsides Education Center to determine a child’s eligibility.

Households receiving CalFresh, CalWORKs or FDPIR benefits must include the following on their meal application:

– Names of all enrolled children

– One case number from any household member

– Signature of an adult household member

Households with foster, homeless, migrant, or runaway children must include:

– Names of all enrolled children

– Indication of individual child’s categorical eligibility status

– Signature of an adult household member

Households who may qualify for free or reduced-price meals based on income must include:

– Names of all household members (children and adults)

– Amount, frequency, and source of current income for each household member

– The last 4 digits of the Social Security number (SSN) of the adult household member who signs the application or check the box if the adult does not have a SSN

– Signature of an adult household member

Foster children are eligible for free meals and may be included as a household member of a foster family if the foster family chooses to also apply for the non-foster children. Including foster children as a household member may help the non-foster children in the household qualify for free or reduced-price meal benefits. If the foster family is not eligible for meal benefits, this does not prevent foster children from receiving free meal benefits.

Children in households participating in Women, Infants and Children (WIC) may be eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Contact school officials for further information or complete an application for processing.

Under the provisions of Hillsides Education Center’s Free and Reduced-Price Meal Policy Statement, the designated determining official(s) will review meal applications and determine eligibility. Parents or guardians dissatisfied with the eligibility determination may discuss the decision with the determining official on an informal basis. Parents or guardians may also make a formal request for an appeal hearing of the decision and may do so orally or in writing with Lupe Gonzales or Puja Chhabra.  Contact Gonzales at (323) 254-2274, ext. 1203 or Chhabra at (323) 254-2274, ext. 1290 for information regarding the hearing procedures.

If a household member becomes unemployed or if the household size changes, the family should contact the school. Such changes may make the household eligible for free or reduced-price meals if the household income falls at or below the levels shown above.

For up to 30 operating days into the new school year, eligibility from the previous school year will continue within the same school/ agency. When the carry-over period ends, unless the household is notified that their children are directly certified or the household submits an application that is approved, the children must pay full price for school meals and the school will not send a reminder or a notice of expired eligibility.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the agency (state or local) where they applied for benefits.

Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (AD-3027), found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaintfilingcust.html and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

– Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410

– Fax: (202) 690-7442

– Email: program.intake@usda.gov

Hillsides is dedicated to healing children and young adults, strengthening families, and transforming communities through quality comprehensive services and advocacy.  Headquartered in Los Angeles, the agency serves 13,000 children and families in Southern California throughout more than 40 sites, including school-based mental health offices in Los Angeles, Pasadena and Baldwin Park. Foster care and adoptions services are offered in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. To learn more about Hillsides, please visit www.Hillsides.org. Visit Hillsides on Facebook @hillsideschildren, on Twitter @Hillsides, or on Instagram @HillsidesPasadena.

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