Resources
Count
Milk is provided without charge to children eligible for free milk and are claimed in the free claiming category. Children who are not eligible for free milk pay the established price and are claimed in the paid claiming category. There is no reduced claiming category.
The point-of-service (POS) counting system must determine how many half-pint equivalents (8 fl oz) are served to students by benefit category without overt identification. SMP POS templates are posted under the "For SFAs participating in the SMP" requirements section.
Application Materials
Public Release
All SFAs are required to distribute the SMP Public Release before the start of the school year. SFAs should send this to the media, grassroots organizations, major employers contemplating or experiencing large layoffs, and local unemployment offices (as applicable). SFAs are not required to pay to have the Public Release published, but must maintain documentation of to whom the release was sent along with the specific materials distributed.
Application Materials
Materials must be distributed to all households and used to qualify students for free milk benefits on or around the beginning of the school year, but not before July, 1. SFAs may also choose to use
Direct Certification to find students that qualify for free milk.
Sharing Information and Disclosure Agreement
If the SFA exercises the option to waive or subsidize other district/school fees (e.g., registration, athletic fees, technology fees, etc.) based on a student’s free milk benefit status, the SFA must utilize the
Sharing Information with Other Programs (
Spanish) (
Hmong) form. This form must be sent to all free benefit recipients, as determined through an application and Direct Certification.
SFAs are not allowed to have a blanket fee waiver. SFAs must allow households to limit consent to only those programs they wish to share information. Additional benefits outside of the milk benefit cannot be provided until a signed form is returned to the SFA allowing the information to be shared. For anyone receiving benefit information to approve students for non-milk benefits, a
Disclosure Agreement form
must be signed and on file at the SFA.