“We know that eating habits play an importing role in fueling student learning, performance and health,” Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman said. “Promoting and supporting healthy eating through school meals ensures that our students have the energy they need to achieve, grow, and succeed in the classroom.”

Basic facts about free and reduced price meals:

Do you need to fill out an application for each of your children? No, you only need one application for all students in your household.

Who can get free meals? All children in households receiving benefits from SNAP or Families First can get free meals regardless of your income. Also, your children can get free meals if your household’s gross income is within the free limits on the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines.

Can foster children get free meals? Yes, foster children that are under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court, are eligible for free meals. Any foster child in the household is eligible for free meals regardless of income.

Can homeless, runaway and migrant children get free meals? Yes, children who meet the definition of homeless, runaway, or migrant qualify for free meals. Check with your school, the homeless liaison or migrant coordinator for more information and to see if your children qualify.

Who can get reduced meals? Your children can get low cost meals if your household is within the reduced price limits on the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines.

Should you fill out an application if you get a letter this school year saying your children are approved for free or reduced price meals? Read the letter carefully and follow the instructions, or call your local School Nutrition Program Director.

My child’s application was approved last year. Do you need to fill out another one? Yes. Your child’s application is only good for that school year and for the first few days of this school year. You must send in a new application unless the school told you that your child is eligible for the new school year.

If you get WIC, can your children get free meals? Your children may be eligible for free or reduced price meals, but you will need to fill out an application.

Will the information you give be checked? Yes, and you may also be asked to send written proof.

What if you disagree with the school’s decision about your application? You should talk to school officials, or you may also ask for a hearing by calling or writing the school officials.

May you apply if someone in your household is not a U. S. citizen? Yes. You or your children do not have to be U. S. citizens to qualify for free or reduced price meals.

Who should you include as members of your household? You must include all people living in your household, related or not (such as grandparents, other relatives, or friends) who share income and expenses. You must include yourself and all children who live with you. If you live with other people who are economically independent, do not include them.

What if your income is not always the same? You must list the amount that you normally receive. If you normally get overtime, include it. But if you do not normally get it, do not include it. If you have lost a job or had your hours or wages reduced, use your current income.

If you are in the military, do you include your housing allowance as income? If you get an off-base housing allowance, you must include it as income. If your housing is part of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, do not include your housing allowance as income.

If my spouse is deployed to a combat zone, is the combat pay counted as income? No, if the combat pay is received in addition to the basic pay because of deployment and it was not received before the deployment, combat pay is not counted as income.

If I need more help, whom should I contact? For more information on applying for SNAP, or other assistance benefits, visit https://fabenefits.dhs.tn.gov/vip/website/signupservlet?pagename=homepage or call the toll free hotline at 866-311-4287.

For more information, contact Amanda E. Morris at 615-253-4754 or Amanda.E.Morris@tn.gov.

The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

For information on the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines see: WIC Income Eligibility Guidelines 2011-2012

The voluntary recall affects milk- and soy-based formulas distributed in the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, and some Caribbean nations. At least 12 of the recalled products were provided to families through the federal government’s Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) health and nutrition program.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reassuring caregivers and families whose babies may have consumed recalled products that drinking the formula will not cause long-term health problems.

“FDA understands that this kind of contamination is a great concern to parents and caregivers,” says FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., “especially in a product they rely on to nourish their infants. To date, FDA has not received any consumer reports of illness associated with the recalled formula.”

Insect pieces in the formula could irritate the gastrointestinal tract, causing babies to have an upset stomach or refuse food, FDA experts say. Parents should consult a doctor if symptoms persist for more than a few days.

FDA is encouraging consumers to check lot numbers on the bottom of formula containers against those being recalled. Anyone who has a recalled container should stop using it immediately and return it to the manufacturer for a full refund.

You can view the PDF on the recall.

3 Ways to Tell If Your Formula Has Been Recalled

If you think you may have one of the recalled formulas, you can:

1. use FDA’s searchable database to find the lot numbers of affected products.
2. visit the manufacturer’s website and type in the lot number to see if it is being recalled, or
3. call Abbott at (800) 986-8850, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Abbott says its liquid formulas are not affected by the recall. Additional information is available at www.abbott.com.

The possibility of contamination was discovered during an internal quality review conducted earlier this month at Abbott’s Sturgis, MI, plant. The review found that some Similac powdered formulas could contain pieces of a common type of warehouse beetle, the company said in a statement.

If you believe your baby might have become ill from drinking the recalled formula, report the problem to FDA’s MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program:

• Complete and submit the report Online
• Download form or call 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178

Consumers may also call the FDA consumer complaint coordinator in their area.

This article appears on FDA’s Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.

NASHVILLE – Emergency preparedness for families involves stocking supplies and making plans for coping with a crisis situation. Those plans should also include breastfeeding for infants. The Tennessee Department of Health is working to raise awareness of breastfeeding as a crucial practice during emergencies as part of the observance of World Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7, 2009.

The theme of World Breastfeeding Week 2009 is “Breastfeeding – A Vital Emergency Response. Are You Ready?” This theme highlights the need to protect, promote and support breastfeeding in emergencies for the survival, health and development of infants and young children.

“Children are among the most vulnerable groups during emergencies, and small children are the most vulnerable of all due to increased risk of death due to diarrhea and pneumonia,” said Glenda King, breastfeeding coordinator for the Tennessee Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. “Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and survival.”

As part of emergency preparedness, hospitals and other health care services should have trained health workers who can help mothers establish breastfeeding to help overcome difficulties associated with a lack of clean and sanitary water, food and surroundings. During emergencies, unsolicited or uncontrolled donations of breast milk substitutes or infant formulas may undermine breastfeeding and should be avoided.

Breastfeeding is the best way to provide newborn infants with the nutrients they need. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization and other health professional agencies actively promote breastfeeding as the best source of nourishment for infants and young children. In Tennessee, health department data show 60 percent of mothers breastfeed while in the hospital after delivery.

Breastfeeding is beneficial to both mother and child. While the mother’s milk is healthy and easy to digest, it also supplies antibodies that protect infants from infections. For the mother, breastfeeding improves milk production, lessens her loss of blood, and lowers her risk for breast and ovarian cancers as well as tightening the uterus after child birth.

Tennessee health officials and lawmakers actively support breastfeeding mothers. Tennessee passed a law in 2006 protecting a mother’s right to breastfeed a child 12 months or younger in any location, public or private, where the mother and child are authorized to be present; prohibiting local governments from criminalizing or restricting breastfeeding; and requiring employers in Tennessee to accommodate breastfeeding mothers at work. The Tennessee Department of Health and WIC program, along with hospitals and health providers, stress that workplaces and communities can work together to protect this important practice by establishing a breastfeeding-friendly environment.

Each of Tennessee’s local health departments has a breastfeeding advocate who can answer questions. You may find a list of county health department locations online at http://health.state.tn.us/localdepartments.htm.

World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated each year from August 1 through 7 in more than 120 countries to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world. For more information about this health observance, visit http://worldbreastfeedingweek.org/.