Food Services

• Are less likely to be overweight
• Show improvement on math, reading and standardized test scores
• Establish healthier habits for later in life
• Have fewer absences and incidences of tardiness
• Are more likely to behave better in school
• Consume more calcium, fiber, foliate and protein

School districts that participate in the CEP program:

• Must provide both breakfast and lunch to all students at no cost.
• Do not track meals by fee category (i.e. free, reduced-price, paid). They simply count the total number of meals served.
• Do not collect payment/fees from students.

New York State still requires CEP schools to collect alternative forms –  also referred to as CEP Household Income Eligibility Form – for other purposes, such as state education funding and Foundation Aid. Also, individual families may be eligible for certain benefits based on the data collected through these forms.

As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the President and Congress created the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides eligible households up to $30/month (or $75/month for households living on Tribal lands) toward their internet bills, as well as a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet. 

All households with a child who was approved to receive free or reduced price school meals under the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program, within the last 12 months, including children who attend schools participating in the Community Eligibility 

Provision, are eligible for ACP benefits. 

Households are also independently eligible if:
(1) their income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level ($55,500 for a family of four); or
(2) a member of the household participates in certain other Federal benefit programs—including, among others, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Medicaid, and Federal Public Housing Assistance.

To further lower costs, the Biden-Harris Administration secured commitments from internet service providers across the country to offer high-speed plans that are fully covered by the ACP. As a result, millions of working families can now get high-speed internet without paying a dime.

Families can check their eligibility, sign up, and find fully covered plans at GetInternet.gov (link is external) (mobile-accessible and available in Spanish) or by calling 877-384-2575.

Regional Food Bank
965 Albany-Shaker Road
Latham, NY 12110
Ph: 518-786-3691
Fx: 518-786-3004
[email protected]

No Kid Hungry runs a free texting service that helps families find meals in their neighborhoods. Parents and caregivers simply text the word "FOOD" to 877-877 to see all the nearby options. (The service is also available in Spanish by texting the word "COMIDA" instead.)

Click the link below for information on SNAP Program Assistance

https://hungersolutionsny.org/find-food-help/snap/snap-eligibility-tool/

Through USDA's summer meal programs, approved sites in communities across the country can serve meals to kids up to age 18 at no cost. Families can use this tool to find directions to nearby meal sites, as well as their hours of operation and contact information. 

https://www.fns.usda.gov/meals4kids

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online by clicking here, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted 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; or

fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

email: [email protected]

The goal of the WSWHE BOCE is to provide student access to nutritious no- or low-cost meals each school day and to ensure that a pupil whose parent/guardian has unpaid school meal fees is not shamed or treated differently than a pupil whose parent/guardian does not have unpaid meal fees.

Unpaid charges place a large financial burden on our school. The purpose of this policy is to ensure compliance with federal requirements for the USDA Child Nutrition Program and, and to provide oversight and accountability for the collection of outstanding student meal balances to ensure that the student is not stigmatized, distressed or embarrassed.

The intent of this policy is to establish procedures to address unpaid meal charges throughout the WSWHE BOCES in a way that does not stigmatize, distress or embarrass students. The provisions of this policy pertain to regular priced reimbursable school breakfast, lunch and snack meals only. WSWHE BOCES provides this policy as a courtesy to those students in the event that they forget or lose their money. Charging of items outside of the reimbursable meals (a la carte items, adult meals, etc.) is expressly prohibited.