School Meals Applications Outreach Toolkit No Kid Hungry

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3. Communicate in Different Ways

Embrace a variety of channels and opportunities to connect with families about free and reduced-price meal applications. Please check with your state agency before conducting outreach to ensure you are not violating any policies that prohibit districts from engaging in the following activities.

• Back to school events, open houses, county fairs, etc. - Have a booth and computers available so families can fill out the forms, along with staff or volunteers who can help families with the online process. Have translators present for parents/caregivers who speak languages other than English.
• Back to school newsletters and packets - Send information and flyers home to families multiple times to ensure families receive the information.
• Include the FRP form in the back to school orientation packet - This is particularly helpful if parents/caregivers are already accustomed to filling out forms included in this packet.
• Summer programming - Include information about any changes to school meals and FRP forms in summer programming activities so families are aware of the changes coming to their child’s school meals, as well as the opportunity to complete a FRP form.
• Emails blasts - Send emails to families about the importance of completing the FRP form, along with a link to the online form. Sending emails on Sunday night can be a great way for parents/caretakers to see the email first thing Monday morning.
• Local TV and radio - Advertise on local TV and radio stations as another way to reach families.
• Billboards - Advertise the value of filling out the FRP form, and note if the district has a deadline for submission.
• District staff – Engage a variety of district staff to promote the FRP forms via their personal social media accounts to reach more families.
• Robocalls – Calling families directly can be an effective way to get the message across.

Be sure to look at your communications through an equity lens. Consider how different communities prefer to receive information. If you aren’t sure, connect with a local church or non-profit that serves the community. Going beyond the school to connect with families can improve outreach efforts and lead to increased application submission.

4. Share Information About SNAP

Communicating about FRP applications is also an opportunity to share about resources that families could be eligible to receive. Families that submit an application and qualify for free school meals (and sometimes reduced-price school meals) could be eligible for SNAP. Increasing SNAP participation increases the number of students who are directly certified for school meals helping school nutrition finances. Incorporating SNAP information into your FRP applications communication efforts is a great way to ensure families know about food resources available to them.

• Include information about SNAP when sharing about FRP applications through flyers, robocalls or text. Include a link to an eligibility screener and referral information for local organizations that provide SNAP application assistance - many states have a website of providers in your area.
• Add a SNAP button to your school’s website or nutrition webpage that links to your state’s online application.
• Include a check-box on your FRP application that allows families to mark if they’re interested in learning more about SNAP and consent to being contacted by a local outreach provider or SNAP agency. (Example from California)
• Invite a local SNAP outreach and assistance partner to back-to-school events.

Helpful Resources:

• San Diego Hunger Coalition & No Kid Hungry CalFresh in Schools
• Hunger Solutions New York SNAP Outreach for Schools Toolkit

5. Ensure Applications are Accessible and Equitable

• Ensure FRP applications and instructions are available in the primary languages spoken by parents/caregivers in your school community, and at an appropriate reading level. Visit USDA’s Translated Languages webpage for more support.
• Provide clear instructions on how to fill out the application, including instructions for families with multiple children, foster families, immigrant families, and families receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).
• Communicate about the FRP application through a variety of channels including via social media, on the school website, during back-to-school nights, via flyers sent home to parents, etc.
• Provide multiple ways to complete and submit the application including online and paper.
• Offer electronic submission, which can reduce errors. Paper applications can be hard to read and may not be completed correctly.

For more detailed information, visit USDA’s webpage Ensuring Access to Free and Reduced Price School Meals for Low-Income Students

6. Consider Renaming the Application

Sometimes a name change can make a difference in terms of perception and application submission. Families may not associate the name of the application, whether it be “School Meals Application” or “Free and Reduced-Price Meal Form”, with all of the great benefits that come along with it. Keep in mind that your state agency will need to approve any name change you wish to make. Some name examples from districts across the country include:

• Education Benefit Form/Application
• Meal Benefits Form/Application
• Educational Benefits Form/ Application
• Benefits Application
• Application for Educational Benefits
• Meal Price Benefit Application
• School Meals Application
• Meal Eligibility Application
• Multipurpose Family Income Form

7. Include a Deadline for Completion

If there is a deadline for completion, be sure to include this information and inform families as to why the deadline exists.

8. Get Teachers and Principals Involved

Educate teachers about why FRP forms are so important and involve teachers in the communication to families. Families tend to view teachers as trusted stakeholders within the school system. Therefore, having teachers promote FRP forms could be helpful in increasing awareness of the forms, and therefore getting more families to submit completed forms. Train principals on how to complete online applications so they can be a support person for families who need assistance with the online process.

9. Celebrate Completing and Submitting the Form

It’s important to bring a celebratory aspect to this process, rather than it feeling like a chore. Offering a celebration to students can help remind them to chat with their parents/caretakers about filling out the forms. For example, if all students in a classroom submit their FRP applications, the class will have a smoothie party or a pizza party. Utilize social media to advertise rewards for families that submit the FRP form.

Some state agencies have policies that prohibit districts from incentivizing completing a FRP form. Please check with your state agency for clarification.

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