The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is addressing food needs created by COVID-19.
During a normal year, more than 400,000 Wisconsin children are fed free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) while at school. To help those students, DHS is providing more than $140 million in food benefits to their families for March, April, May and part of June. The funds were appropriated in the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
DHS and the DPI are contacting schools in the Free or Reduced Price Lunch program with details on how you can get families signed up.
If your school participates in NSLP you should have received an email on May 12 about the new benefit. DHS needs your help to verify your families’ information so they can participate in the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) program.
According to the DHS email, schools will need to “send the email text information to all households who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. This includes all students that attend Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools. The link to the P-EBT application is included in the email text link.”
Click here for a flyer to send your families.
On March 14, 2020, the USDA granted the DPI a waiver of the school lunch program requirements.
Among other things, this waiver has the effect of allowing private schools to administer school meals in non-congregate settings if they choose.
