To receive free school meals in Michigan this year, most parents must apply. Here’s how School Nutrition Program Operators can help spread the word on how they can do so.

All across America, kids are headed back to school. Unfortunately, nearly 12 million of those children will re-enter the classroom struggling with hunger, making it harder to start the school year ready to learn. In Michigan, 1 in 7 children under age 18 live in households that experienced limited or uncertain availability of safe, nutritious food at some point during the year.¹ School meal programs across Michigan play a crucial role in ensuring kids get three meals a day and have the nutrition they need to thrive in and out of the classroom.

But this school year, there’s a big difference: Because Congress didn’t extend the federal waiver authority that allowed all kids to eat for free the last two school years, this fall most schools are going back to pre-pandemic operations. This means that families must submit an application form to their school to determine if their kids are eligible for free or reduced price meals. Parents haven’t had to fill out these forms in over two years, so it can be challenging to make sure parents get the message to do so. 

No Kid Hungry Michigan has created a Toolkit to help you get the message out to parents and families about the importance of filling out their school meals applications, with sample social media posts, shareable language, graphics, and more. We know that school meals are a healthy, convenient option for busy families and they can also go a long way in helping make ends meet. It’s important for parents to know that beyond ensuring kids get school meals, school meals applications may qualify families for additional benefits, like discounted exam fees and college applications, extracurriculars, scholarship opportunities, and even home wifi. They can also help their child’s school secure additional classroom resources that will support all students’ education. 

As parents are checking things off their back to school to-do list, you can help spread the word to encourage parents and caregivers to go to your school district’s website to fill out the school meal application or get a paper form from school. You can also share the information provided from Michigan School Meals, which was created in partnership with the Michigan Department of Education. This FAQ resource can be shared via social media, emailed to parents, or printed out and sent home with students. 

After all, when it comes to school supplies, we know that nutritious school meals are as important to students’ learning as notebooks and pencils. We can help make sure parents know that as well!