Program Overview
The Special Milk Program for Illinois is a federal level program funded by the central government. The program assists low-income households to pay their children milk expenses at school in different public and private institutions. The program helps those kids get the maximum amount of Vitamin A and D in their fluid intake. This helps in the development of strong teeth and bones in the children’s bodies.
The program is administered by and needs to meet the requirements of the federal government. However, different school food authorities have different conditions regarding the type of food to serve and how to serve them.
Program Objectives
The main objective of the program is to make a healthy and nutritionally balanced diet accessible to children from low-income households. The program tries to establish good eating habits in children. The children who are currently enrolled in schools can receive the program’s benefits. The meals are provided either free or at a very low cost.
The other programs related to the Special Milk Program in Illinois include,
- The National School Lunch Program
- School Breakfast Program
- Seamless Summer Feeding Option
- National School Breakfast and Lunch Program
- State Meal Program
Milk Options Available
The sponsors of the Special Milk program in the state of Illinois can choose from two types of milk options,
- The Paid Milk Option: In this type of program, all the students in the state of Illinois have to pay for the cost of milk. Here the household income is not considered hence anyone who can afford it can apply. However, Federal reimbursements are not included.
- The Free Milk option: As the name suggests, in this option the students are not charged for the cost of the milk and the income of the household is taken into consideration in this option.
Eligibility Requirements
Children who qualify for the Special Milk Program for the state of Illinois will receive milk for free or at a reduced price in their schools. The requirements to apply are,
- Families with dependent kids and an income level below 130% of the federal poverty line (FPL) can apply for the NSLP benefit program.
- Households with income levels between 130% and 185% of the federal poverty level and have dependent children can receive food at lower prices in their schools. (prices will reduce up to 40 cents and no more)
- Kids with family income more than 185% of the FPL have to pay full prices but may also receive some kind of funding. Every food administration office in your school decides its prices for fully paid meals.
There are other eligibility conditions for the Special Milk Program for Illinois including.
- The candidate must be a permanent citizen of the U.S and the state of Illinois
- The candidate is a parent or caretaker or a primary guardian with kids attending either high school or below
- The candidate’s household income must fall under the eligibility condition determined by the program
It is advisable to apply for the program before the deadline in order to make sure your child is not deprived of the program’s benefits. The benefits provided by the program are effective throughout the school’s academic year.
The number of members in a household and total household income is also very important factors while considering a candidate for the Illinois Special Milk Program. The amount of the maximum gross income level before taxes must equate,
| Size Of Household | Maximum Annual Income Level ($) |
| 1 | 23107 |
| 2 | 31284 |
| 3 | 39461 |
| 4 | 47638 |
| 5 | 55815 |
| 6 | 63992 |
| 7 | 72169 |
| 8 | 80346 |
In case, the household size is greater than 8 members an additional amount of $8177 is considered per member. The amount of annual income level might change from time to time. Therefore, it is a good step to contact the managing agency in your area. They will be able to provide you with the most recent and up-to-date guidelines about the Illinois Special Milk Program.
How To Apply
To get your child registered for the Special Milk Program at school, you will have to get in touch with your child’s school office. The school administration that deals with this program will guide you through the whole application process. You can go to the official website of the Illinois Special Milk Program to learn more about the program details. You can visit the School Meals Contact to find the list of schools enrolled with the Special Milk Program in your state.
Apply via phone call
You can also apply for the Special Milk Program for Illinois by calling the Nutrition Programs Division by the Illinois State Board of Education at 1-800-545-7892.
For Further Information
You can also visit the Illinois Special Milk Program information page webpage. The website provides you with up-to-date information regarding the program to make the application process less daunting. You can use the same procedure if you want to reduce the prices of milk at your child’s school.
The agencies that look into the Illinois Special Milk program make sure that all the applications are accessed properly. The agency makes sure to determine the eligibility of the candidates within ten days of submitting the application form. The qualified families are approached about their qualifications once they are selected. This makes sure the families don not have to pay any meal charges which might cause a burden to them.