Free and Reduced - Letter 2020-2021

Free and Reduced - Application 2020-2021


School Nutrition Programs

May 12, 2020, 1:30 pm

S ent by listserv to SNP Sponsors and posted at www.kn-eat.org , School Nutrition Programs, What’s New
 
Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) Program Q&As
from May 11, 2020, Town Hall Meeting
 
In Kansas, Department for Children and Families (DCF) in collaboration with Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) developed a plan to offer the P-EBT. Kansas has received approval from the USDA to begin a new Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) Program.  This program will help families who have been impacted by school closures due to COVID-19 to purchase food for their children.

•         The program provides benefits on a Kansas Benefits Card to Kansas families whose children between the age of 5-18, would receive free or reduced price meals as part of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act at participating schools.
•         P-EBT benefits will be issued from Department for Children and Families for children eligible for free or reduced price meals in the National School Lunch Program.
•         Families will be able to use the P-EBT benefit to purchase food items at EBT authorized retailers.
•         P-EBT benefits are non-transferrable.
•         If a family does not want the benefit the card is to be destroyed.
•         The new P-EBT program is in addition to other services families may be participating in, including participating in the Summer Food Service Program.
•         To assist all eligible Kansas children to receive the Pandemic-EBT benefit, all Kansas Sponsors/school districts (School Food Authorities-SFAs) of the National School Lunch Program have been asked to complete two steps outlined in the listserv message sent to Authorized Representatives on May 11th from KSDE, Child Nutrition & Wellness.

 
1.      The DCF secure district portal is now ready for you to upload your most recent Benefit’s Issuance List.  On May 11, Accenture (system vendor) will send each Authorized Representative an email with a unique user name and password. Follow the instructions in the email to upload to the DCF secure district portal the most recent Benefit’s Issuance list of all students eligible for free and reduced price meals via income application by May 20th.  This list must contain student first name, student last name, eligibility status, and date determined eligible.  If available, also include head of household first name, head of household last name, address and student(s) date(s) of birth.  Excel is the preferred upload format but Word and PDF formats will also be able to be uploaded by midweek.  An excel template is available at www.kn-eat.org, School Nutrition Programs, What’s New. Lists that are uploaded to the district portal after May 20 will be processed, however the household will not be served automatically.  A cover memo is not required even though it may state that in the instructions on the upload portal.
 
2.      Notify households that are receiving free and reduced benefits via a free and reduced price meals application with information on how to register for P-EBT benefits using a confidential link with this language:
 
“ Due to your household’s eligibility for free or reduced price meals for SY2019-2020, your student(s) are eligible for a Pandemic EBT benefit to equal the value of the meals the child(ren) would have received at school if school had not been closed due to COVID-19.  If your household already receives Food Assistance, TANF, Child Care or Medicaid benefits no further action is needed.  This benefit will automatically be added to your Kansas Benefits Card (or you will be mailed a Kansas Benefits Card if only on Medicaid).   If you do not see the P-EBT benefit added on your Kansas Benefits Card by June 5^th, then you will need to register for the benefit at this link: www.ks-p-ebt.dcf.ks.gov.   This confidential link is for your household only and not to be shared with others. The link is currently active with information and is where households can register from June 5, 2020 to June 30, 2020.  If you have questions, call DCF 1-888-369-4777 Monday – Friday 8am-5pm.  Kansas will continue to comply with civil rights requirements, to include providing equal access to individuals with disabilities and individuals who are limited English proficient.”
 
“ Debido a la elegibilidad de los miembros de su hogar para el beneficio de las comidas sin cargo o con descuento para el año escolar 2019-2020, su(s) estudiante(s) es/son elegible(s) para recibir el beneficio de la Transferencia Electrónica de Beneficios por la Pandemia (P-EBT), para igualar el valor de las comidas que hubieran recibido en la escuela si esta no se hubiera cerrado a causa de la COVID-19.  Si los miembros de su hogar ya reciben los beneficios de Asistencia Alimentaria, Asistencia Temporal Para Familias Necesitadas (TANF), Cuidado Infantil o Medicaid, no es necesario que realice ninguna acción adicional.  Este beneficio se agregará de forma automática a su Tarjeta de Beneficios de Kansas (si solo se encuentra registrado en Medicaid, recibirá su tarjeta por correo postal).   Si, para el 5 de junio, no se agregó el beneficio de la P-EBT en su Tarjeta de Beneficios de Kansas, deberá registrarse para recibirlo en el siguiente enlace: www.ks-p-ebt.dcf.ks.gov.   Este enlace confidencial es para uso exclusivo de los miembros de su hogar, por lo que no debe compartirlo con otras personas. El enlace estará activo entre el 5 y el 30 de junio de 2020 únicamente.  Si tiene preguntas, llame al Departamento de Niños y Familias (DCF), al 1-888-369-4777, de lunes a viernes, de 8 a. m. a 5 p. m.  Kansas seguirá cumpliendo con los requisitos relativos a los derechos civiles, para garantizar la igualdad de acceso a personas con discapacidades y aquellas que no dominan completamente el inglés”.
 
Note:  The information with the confidential link must only be distributed by direct email or mail to the qualifying households and cannot be posted on a public website or sent to all enrolled children.
 

•         School districts will continue to determine eligibility for free and reduced-price meal benefits to allow families to be eligible for P-EBT. The income applications must be determined to see if the child is eligible for free or reduced price meals and then if they are, the new information can be uploaded to DCF through the secure portal.
•         Qualifying Families will receive up to $291 in total P-EBT benefits per child, based upon the months the child was eligible for free or reduced price meals (immigration status is not affected, P-EBT is not considered public charge because it is emergency assistance).
  • March - $57
  • April - $120
  • May - $114

 

•         Questions regarding how to compile the Benefit’s Issuance list or the email distribution list with the information to eligible households should be directed to the KSDE Child Nutrition & Wellness team at 785-296-2276.  
•         The Benefit’s Issuance list does not need to include students directly certified due to Food Assistance, TANF or Foster.  The Direct Certification list comes from DCF so they already have information about these students.  You should include students eligible due through an Income Application, Migrant, Homeless, Runaway and determined eligible due to a local official.  Foster students eligible due to an income application rather than the direct certification list should also be included.  Students are eligible for this benefit if they qualify for either free OR reduced price meals.  Students who were extended eligibility due to a student in the household found on the direct certification list, should be included on the Benefit’s Issuance list.
•         If an eligible household does not have an email address, school districts can provide the notification by regular mail or they can call and provide the information to the household
•         5-year-old children enrolled in a PRE-K program at a School Food Authority are eligible if they are participating in the National School Lunch Program.  They are not eligible if participating only in the Child & Adult Care Food Program.  Four-year old children and younger are not eligible for this benefit.  Special needs students over the age of 18 are not eligible for this benefit.
•         Home school students are not eligible unless they have been enrolled at a school where they have participated in the National School Lunch Program.
•         School districts can send out a notification on social media asking households to contact the school district if they have not received a notification about the P-EBT and think they are eligible for the benefit.  Example language: “If you have children in your household ages 5-18 that received free or reduced price meals during SY2019-2020 and have not received a KS Benefits Card by June 5, please contact us.”

For further information, go to the DCF website for P-EBT FAQs at http://www.dcf.ks.gov/pages/P-EBT.aspx.  The COVID-19 Resource Page with P-EBT information will be available at https://covid.ks.gov/.
 
Announcements

1.       A waiver Summary Chart is available for your reference at www.kn-eat.org, School Nutrition Programs, What’s New and at www.kn-eat.org, SFSP, What’s New.
2.       The School Nutrition Program Renewal Webinar is scheduled for Monday, May 18 at 2 PM.  Join us at https://ksde.zoom.us/j/811203631.
3.       Town Hall Attendees were asked to share their questions and concerns regarding planning for Summer 2020 and for SY2020-2021 in the Chat.  The Child Nutrition & Wellness team will share with USDA and work to create resources and provide guidance for developing contingency plans during the Administrative Update webinars this summer.