Child Nutrition

The Tangipahoa Parish School System is pleased to announce the continuation of the USDA Child Nutrition Nationwide Waiver for the 2021-2022 school year. This program will allow all students to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch every school day free of charge. Students will still be required to pay for second meals and/or extra sales items, as they are not included in the program. No fees are required to participate in this program. Meals will be provided to virtual students. Please check the district website for additional updates. Parents/guardians will no longer be required to complete an application for meal benefits for their child or children. The only requirement to participate in this program is for the child/children to be enrolled in one of the Tangipahoa Parish public schools listed below. 

As always, we are looking forward to providing nutritious and delicious meals for all students this school year. We are confident that this program will have a positive impact on our students and parents! If you have any questions, please contact Kendra Reed, Director of Child Nutrition, via telephone (985-748-2480) or email (Kendra.reed@tangischools.org).

USDA Child Nutrition Nationwide Waiver for the 2021-2022 School Year

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P-EBT UPDATE

After January 31, parents will no longer be able to request changes to their child’s 2020-21 Pandemic EBT case through the P-EBT Parent Portal. To view benefits that have already been issued to your child, visit the P-EBT Parent Portal. https://buff.ly/3o0NH8s

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The Department of Child and Family Services has a Parent Portal for you to view and receive information about your child's P-EBT benefits. You will need to create a CAFE account and link your student's P-EBT case to your CAFE account. We encourage all of you to do this to verify the information that was sent on your behalf. If you find an error, then reach out to your student's school to verify what we have in the Student Information System (SIS) is correct. (Please be aware that if an error is found, it will take approximately 6 weeks to process and get you a new card.)

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VISIT THE P-EBT PARENT PORTal to Get STarted 

If you scroll down, they have video instructions to help you. 

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Please visit pebt-la.org for more information.

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What is P-EBT?

The Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) Program was created in Spring 2020 to provide funds for families to buy food while schools were closed due to COVID-19.

• Eligible students in HYBRID learning situations can expect to receive $48.23 for each eligible month. “Hybrid” means a combination of computer-based and in-person learning.
• Eligible students in FULLY VIRTUAL learning situations can expect to receive $120.71 for each eligible month. “Fully virtual” means taking classes by computer.

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When can I expect to receive P-EBT benefits?

P-EBT benefits have been issued for August 2020 to May 2021 for students whose schools reported them as eligible. Have you checked the P-EBT Parent Portal? The Portal contains information about your child’s P-EBT case, including the months for which benefits were issued.

View the P-EBT Parent Portal 

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Why haven’t I received a P-EBT deposit for certain months and/or for summer?

Have you checked the P-EBT Parent Portal? The Portal contains information about your child’s P-EBT case, including the months for which benefits were issued.

View the P-EBT Parent Portal  

The Summer P-EBT program only recently received federal approval. We’re submitting information to DCFS for students who were in-person in May, and you can expect benefits to be issued onto existing P-EBT cards between late August and October.

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My child attended school in person in the 2020-21 school year, so we didn’t receive a P-EBT card yet. Will we receive Summer P-EBT?

As schools submit information about students who were enrolled in May AND received free meals, DCFS will issue benefits to those students and order cards to be mailed to those students in their names. They are expected be received by October.

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I haven’t received my child’s P-EBT card yet. Why?

Have you checked the P-EBT Parent Portal? The Portal contains information about your child’s P-EBT case, including the months for which benefits were issued. 

View the P-EBT Parent Portal 

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I’ve checked the Portal and the information that was submitted is not correct. My child didn’t receive benefits for all the months he or she was eligible for.

Your child's school can review attendance records in our Student Information System (SIS) to determine if a correction is warranted. If so, we’ll submit the information to the P-EBT system. This type of update is processed each week and processing could take a few weeks to complete, depending on when the change is submitted and whether there are any other issues. Updates appear in the Parent Portal on Wednesdays.

You’ll find more information about corrections on the P-EBT website at http://www.dcfs.louisiana.gov/page/pebt-louisiana-faqs#corrections

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I’ve checked the Parent Portal and my child has been listed as hybrid for months they were virtual.

Your child's school can review your child’s attendance records in the Student Information System (SIS) to determine if a correction is warranted. If so, we’ll submit the information to the P-EBT system. DCFS will begin processing these types of updates in mid-August and they’ll begin to appear in the Parent Portal then. Once the update is made, the extra benefits will be made available on cards shortly thereafter.

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I’ve checked the Portal and I don’t have an issuance for summer. Why?

To be eligible for summer benefits, students had to be in school in May and on free or reduced-price lunch. Summer benefits have already been issued to students that were hybrid or virtual in May, because it was known those students attended school in May. We’re submitting information to DCFS for students who were in-person in May, and you can expect benefits to be issued onto existing P-EBT cards between late August and October.

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I need to update the address that my child’s P-EBT card was sent to.

Have you contacted your child's school to update your address in our Student Information System (SIS)? Once we’ve verified the change of address and submitted the change, it will take a few weeks for the update to appear in the Parent Portal. A replacement card may take up to 30 days to arrive by mail after it appears in the Portal.

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I haven’t received my P-EBT card yet.

Check the Parent Portal to see if benefits have been issued and if your address is correct. You can expect to receive a card within 30 days of the issuance date.

If you are having another issue with your card, the DCFS LAHelp-U Customer Contact Center should be able to assist. Try calling 1-888-524-3578 or emailing LAHelpU.DCFS@la.gov. You can call LAHelpU from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., M-F, except on holidays. To activate your PEBT Card with the automated system, select your language, then 4 and then 1. If you're having problems activating your card or creating a CAFÉ account to log into the PEBT Parent Portal, you can select 4 and then 2 to have a Customer Service Representative assist you.

Tip: Call volumes are lightest between 7:30-8:30 am & 5-6 pm. (Monday and Tuesday are the busiest days.)

 

• School Wellness Policy
• Non-Discrimination Statement 
• Non-Discrimination Statement Spanish 

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USDA Child Nutrition Nationwide Waiver for the 2021-2022 School Year

Choose Your Plate!  
Filling up your plate with the correct amounts of fruits, vegetables, lean meats, whole grains and dairy will make your plate a healthy one. Remember these tips when selecting what to put on your plate:

• Make smart choices. 1/2 of your plate should contain fruits and vegetables.  1/4 of your plate should be whole grains and 1/4 should be lean meats.
• Don't forget the dairy. Milk and yogurt have calcium, Vitamin D, folate and other nutrients to help keep your bones and mind strong. Select low or non-fat dairy products to reduce the fat in your diet.
• Choose lean proteins. White meat chicken, turkey, fish, seafood, and beans are all great lean protein choices.  Proteins that have been baked, boiled or broiled are great choices for your plate.  Eating  proteins that are fried, breaded or covered in creamy sauces will add calories and fat to your diet.

For additional information, visit ChooseMyPlate.gov.

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Welcome to Tangipahoa Parish Child Nutrition Department's Wellness Corner! Here you will find information on how to keep you and your child's plate healthy, updates on changes to your child's breakfast and lunch plates, monthly newsletters and the student's feedback on how the department is doing. 

Pennington Biomedical Center Smart Snack List

Smart Snacks Calculator

Louisiana Guide to Smart Snacks

How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label - eliminate confusion

Food Allergies - reducing the risk

Healthy Snack Ideas

Reducing Salt in Your Diet

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TANGIPAHOA PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM
Child Nutrition Program
59656 PULESTON ROAD  |  AMITE, LA 70422
985 - 748 - 2480

 

Kendra Reed 
Director of Child Nutrition
kendra.reed@tangischools.org
985-748-2480

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Rebekah Mcallister
Wellness Coordinator/Dietitian
rebekah.mcallister@tangischools.org
985-748-2531

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Jodi Bordelon
Operations & Technical Coordinator
(Hammond, Ponchatoula, Tickfaw)
jodi.bordelon@tangischools.org
985-748-2482

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Tabitha Giles
North Area Coordinator
(Independence, Loranger, Amite, Roseland, Kentwood, Sumner, Chesbrough, and Spring Creek)
tabitha.giles@tangischools.org 
985-748-2483

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Dominique Rogers
Office Assistant
dominique.rogers@tangischools.org
985-748-2480

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Katie Easley
Office Assistant
katie.easley@tangischools.org
985-748-2488

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Robin Joiner
Account Specialist
robin.joiner@tangischools.org
985-748-2483