Warsaw Schools to parents: state’s summer food program discontinued
This post was provided by News Now Warsaw
Staff Report
WARSAW — Warsaw Community Schools began informing parents on Friday that a popular summer food program has been eliminated by the state.
That’s one day after state officials announced they would not participate in the USDA SUN Bucks program, which previously provided eligible families with additional grocery benefits during the summer months.
Last summer, qualifying families received $120 per eligible child through the SUN Bucks program to help cover the cost of meals while school was out, according to a letter sent to parents.
The letter read in part:
“Please know that this decision was made at the state level and is not under the control of Warsaw Community Schools. We understand this change may place an additional burden on many of our families, and we want to ensure you are aware as early as possible so that you can plan accordingly.”
The school district will continue to offer its summer “SUN Meals” program at Lincoln Elementary and Edgewood Middle School and the SUN Meals To-Go, the lunch and snack program at Warsaw Center Lake Park and Winona Lake Park.
Both of those programs begin on June 2.
Network Indiana reported last week that Indiana will not participate in the Federal SUN Bucks program after missing a deadline.
The initiative provided grocery money for nearly 700,000 kids last year.
The Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) released this statement regarding the state’s decision not to opt into the program:
“When this administration took office, we discovered that the necessary groundwork had not been completed to launch the program in time for this summer. While we work toward long-term solutions, students in low-income areas across the state can still access free summer meals at approximately 1,000 locations, including schools and community organizations, through the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program.
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