Is your child currently in school, or is it their first year? Either way, preparing for the new school year can be overwhelming. Along with scheduling a physical and eye exam for your child before the school year and ensuring your child is up-to-date with immunizations, Benefits.gov wants to make sure you know there are several available programs and resources that can make getting ready for the new school year easier than ever.
State Children’s Health Insurance
The State Children’s Health Insurance (SCHIP) program provides health coverage to uninsured children whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but too little to afford private coverage. All states provide immunizations at no cost and may cover much more. To learn more about this program, visit the SCHIP page. To see what SCHIP covers in your state, visit the SCHIP State Selection page.
National School Lunch and Breakfast
The National School Lunch and Breakfast administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program make nutritionally balanced meals available to children as a part of their regular school day. Children qualify to receive free or low-cost meals while they attend school (grades K-8) if their families’ household income meets the current income eligibility guidelines. To view these guidelines, visit USDA’s Income Eligibility page. For more information, visit the National School Lunch and Breakfast program page.
Improving Self-Confidence
Has your child dealt with bullying at school? Regardless of which side your child is on, it is important for kids, teens, young adults, parents, educators and other in the community to prevent and stop bullying. For helpful resources on the prevention of bullying, check out StopBullying.gov. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in partnership with the Department of Education (ED) and the Department of Justice (DOJ), manages this website as a resource for anyone involved in bullying to help address this serious issue.
Benefits.gov encourages you to take our Benefit Finder questionnaire to find other benefit programs that can help you and your family throughout the school year. For more helpful information on the start of a new school year, check out our article Helping Parents Prepare for Back-to-School.
