September, 2005

To:        School Food Service Directors/Managers

From:    Frances O'Donnell

Re:        Emergency Feeding of School Children Devastated by Hurricane Katrina

    This memorandum is to announce the USDA's Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) policy for the feeding of school children in areas recently devastated by Hurricane Katrina.  If families affected by Hurricane Katrina are relocated to your area/school, the following policies will apply.  The USDA will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as appropriate. 

• When there are large numbers of homeless families and children because of property loss or damage, school officials may keep a list to document free meal eligibility, in lieu of individual applications (this is current policy for homeless children).
• In cases where a household from a designated disaster area moves in with another household, the displaced individuals may be considered homeless and consequently automatically eligible for free meals. 
• In order for the children of the host family to be eligible for free or reduced price meal benefits the host family would have to provide an application (and can include those displaced by the disaster as long as any income provided to the host family is also included on the application).
• For those areas (e.g. New York) not immediately affected by the hurricane, but which have individuals displaced by the disaster, if a free and reduced price meal application cannot be obtained from the household, school officials may use administrative prerogative. The administrator may complete the application on behalf of the child based on the best available knowledge of the household's economic circumstances.

School officials should review eligibility determinations made under these crisis procedures after 45 days to evaluate the household's circumstances.  If there are any questions concerning this policy, contact Barbara St. Louis at (518) 474-3956 or your respective Child Nutrition Representative.