Child Nutrition Staff

Melissa Wood
Child Nutrition Director

Brenda Bibbs
Child Nutrition, Secretary/Bookkeeper

Bernadette Hudson
 Child Nutrition Assistant

Clarification from USDA concerning furloughed employees and meal benefits.

We have received questions about how households of furloughed federal employees should be treated for purposes of determining eligibility for school meals.  Please see below for guidance on this topic.   

Q.  Can households of furloughed employees be approved for free or reduced price school meal benefits? 
Should they be removed from the program when the furlough is over?

 A.   The income eligibility guidelines for free and reduced price school meals are based on annual income.   
While there is no prohibition on households with furloughed employees applying for benefits during a furlough,
 school food authorities (SFAs) should manage the application process in a manner which reflects their unique
circumstances.   During the furlough period, these households may not have information on the duration of the
furlough or its ultimate impact on household income.  Therefore, it is reasonable for SFAs to remind households that
free or reduced price eligibility is intended to reflect actual annual income.   School districts should urge any families
 who are approved for free or reduced-price meals based on their reduced income during a furlough period to
 terminate their free/reduced price status should the economic hardship they had anticipated due to the furlough
 be remedied by a return to work and/or restoration of pay for the furlough period.In addition, families should be
 made aware that if they are selected for verification later in the school year, they will be required to produce
 documentation of actual income for the application month.  School districts may choose to verify applications
“for cause” if they have specific information indicating that the information on the application is not accurate. 


Department Contact Information
Mailing Address: P O Box 178, Edgefield, SC 29824
Location: 119 Cardinal Drive, Johnston, SC 29832
Telephone: (803) 275-4158 – Fax: (803) 275-5789

LINKS

Child Nutrition Website

Child Nutrition Charge Policy