The Frederick County Public Schools meals-to-go service does not require anyone to fill out a Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FARM) benefits application. However, qualifying for the school system’s meal benefits is one measure that families may use to also qualify to receive funds for children’s meals through the recently approved Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) Program.
The Maryland State Department of Education and the Department of Human Services secured federal approval on a joint submission to operate the P-EBT program to help feed the nearly 427,000 vulnerable children in Maryland with over $49 million in estimated benefits. Benefits may be retroactive to the start of Maryland schools’ closure March 16. Monthly benefits are calculated at the daily rate of $5.70 per child for each day the child’s school was closed in a particular month.
FCPS encourages families who have not filled out a free and reduced-price meals benefit application or who did not previously qualify for free or reduced-price meals to complete the application now if their situation has changed due to decreased wages, unemployment or increased family size. FCPS will continue to accept and process 2019-2020 meal benefits applications through June 30, 2020. Only one application is required per household even if the children attend different schools; families are reminded to include all family members on the application. Families may apply online at https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application, or they may use a paper version printed in English or Spanish from www.fcpsnutrition.com. Paper applications will need to be returned to FCPS Food and Nutrition Services, 33 Thomas Johnson Drive, Frederick, MD 21702.
For answers to questions regarding the Free and Reduced-Price Meal benefits application, please call 301-644-5061. FCPS has no further information about the P-EBT Program; to learn more about that program, please contact the Maryland Department of Human Services and see their news release: http://news.dhr.maryland.gov/reports/that/usda-approval-maryland-provide-food-approximately-427000-children-affected-covid-19-school-closures/.