The government shutdown will not affect federal employees in Maine who want to apply for school meal benefits for their children.
School districts around the state are accepting applications for free and discounted meals despite the shutdown, according to the Maine Department of Education. These applications can be submitted anytime during the school year.
Any federal employees who would like to apply for meal benefits can do so by downloading an application from the Maine Department of Education’s website and submitting it to a local school’s food service program.
School administrators reviewing applications should note this is a federal application, so it may look unfamiliar. It should still be accepted and processed like any other current meal benefit applications.