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    • Information for schools

    General Information

    The School Meals Programme wants as many possible students to follow their classes with a filled belly. The programme concerns children in primary and secondary schools. Therefore, schools are a crucial partner in the implementation of this programme.
    The programme targets schools that meet specific selection criteria. Schools qualify if at least 30% of their students come from low-income households. This data is available in the reports from the National Cohort Study in Education (NCO). More information can be found under Criteria.
    Register here!

    Registration for schools

    The registration for the programme and the choice of the type of support are done through the schools. Since March 2023 many schools have already registered.
    Does your school also want to take part? Then you can still register.
    There are certain requirements so that the support is given to the children that need it. In the registration form, we ask you, among other things, to upload your NCO report. Here you can also let us know which option of the programme you would prefer. An NCO report is not necessary for all schools.
    There are two options:
    1. Money for schools to organise meals at school
    2. Parents/caregivers receive support through a grocery card. Money is put on the card with which they can buy extra food for their school-going children.
    More about the two options of the programme can be found here.
    Do you wish to change the choice of your school? This can be done under certain conditions, in consultation with the School Meals Programme.
    The process to register is as follows:
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    Criteria

    Registering for the programme

    When enrolling for the programme, most schools require an NCO (National Cohort Study) report. This report contains a percentage of ‘Students with parents from a low-income background’ that needs to be included in the registration.
    Schools can register via the registration form, for which, in most cases, your school’s NCO report is necessary. The NCO report is obtainable through your administration. This report must be from the publication year 2024.
    For some schools, an NCO report is not required. See Further Instructions ->
    Schools qualify if at least 30% of their students come from a low-income household. In such cases, the school can register for the School Meals Programme. Some schools might possess multiple NCO reports for different educational formats or types. These schools are eligible if at least one of the NCO reports shows a percentage of at least 30%.
    The percentage is located in Figure 1.2 of the NCO report, usually on page 7 or 8. Beneath Figure 1.2, the sentence ‘In het schooljaar 2022/2023 komt X% van uw leerlingen uit een gezin met een laag inkomen’ can be found.
    For more clarification regarding the NCO report and where to find this information, refer to this guide:
    NCO Guide

    Further instructions:

    Every school must register separately per branch:
    For primary (PO) and secondary education (VO) schools, we request NCO reports to be uploaded to the application form.
    Special primary education (SBO), special secondary education (VSO), practical education (PRO), and special education (SO) schools automatically qualify for the program based on already known data.
    New or temporary schools do not have an NCO report yet. Please contact us via the contact form.
    For schools encompassing multiple educational levels, the following applies:
    When choosing meals at school: the school can only provide meals to students within the targeted educational level. Organizational efforts should focus on avoiding stigmatisation.
    When choosing the grocery cards: these are designated for all students in need throughout the school, without any restrictions based on educational levels. The Red Cross conducts an additional verification using a questionnaire filled out by parents/caregivers to ensure that grocery cards reach the students who require them.

    Already registered?

    Schools that registered and were accepted in 2023 do not need to resend their NCO reports. Their participation will continue until the end of the programme.
    If your school doesn’t qualify to participate in the programme but has many students who could benefit from extra food, please contact us via the contact form. We’ll explore alternative solutions for them.
    Contact form

    Selection and registration

    After a school registers, the programme team processes the application. We assess whether the school meets the requirements. Upon approval, the school receives a participation confirmation.
    As mentioned earlier, the school can choose between providing meals at school or distributing grocery cards to parents/caregivers. Participating schools either receive financial compensation or parents/caregivers receive a grocery card.
    Is your school already participating in the programme and would you prefer to switch to the other option? This can be done under certain conditions, in consultation with the School Meals Programme.

    Two Options

    1st option: Meals at school

    The school has chosen personalised support for parents/caregivers. Parents/caregivers receive a grocery card delivered to their homes. This card contains money that can be used in supermarkets, local stores, and market stalls to buy food for their children. This allows them to decide on the type of food that best suits their children.
    The implementation of this option is managed by the Red Cross.
    Here’s how it works: the school registers to participate in this programme. Upon approval for participation, the school receives further information. The school then sends an online registration form to parents/caregivers for them to register. Parents/caregivers who meet the criteria receive a grocery card at home.
    For more information for schools on the organisation of the Grocery Cards, click here.

    Option 2: Grocery cards for parents/caregivers

    The school has chosen personalised support for parents/caregivers. Parents/caregivers receive a grocery card delivered to their homes. This card contains money that can be used in supermarkets, local stores, and market stalls to buy food for their children. This allows them to decide on the type of food that best suits their children.
    The implementation of this option is managed by the Red Cross.
    Here’s how it works: the school registers to participate in this programme. Upon approval for participation, the school receives further information. The school then sends an online registration form to parents/caregivers for them to register. Parents/caregivers who meet the criteria receive a grocery card at home.
    For more information for schools on the organisation of the Grocery Cards, click here.

    For more information for parents/caregivers

    Click here.

    Do you have any questions or would you like to get in touch?

    Click here for the contact form