GRANDFACTS: Mississippi PAGE 5
Food and Nutrition Services of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Child Nutrition Program - The schools, early childhood education programs, child care centers, afterschool
programs or other programs that children attend may offer free or reduced meals through the federal Child
Nutrition Program, which provides breakfast, lunch, snacks, summer meals and milk. Contact the school,
center or program to ask if they participate in any of the child nutrition programs and how to apply. Relative
caregivers should inform the program that they are raising the child and whether or not they are doing so
through a court order.
Online State Directory - To find your state office that manages the Child Nutrition Program.
www.fns.usda.gov/contacts
Women, Infant and Children (WIC) - States administer federal funds for supplemental foods, health care
referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum
women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk.
Online State Directory - To find your state office that manages the WIC program.
www.fns.usda.gov/wic/wic-contacts
Foodbanks
Organizations that provide free food and sometimes other items, such as diapers, to families in need.
Online State Directory - To find local food banks.
www.feedingamerica.org/foodbank-results.aspx
Key Public Benefits: Health Care
Relative caregivers and the children they are raising may be eligible for health insurance through Medicare
and/or Medicaid and help with prescription drugs. Benefits QuickLINK can help you find these benefits.
www.aarp.org/quicklink
Health Insurance for Children
Relative caregivers may apply for free or low-cost health and dental insurance for the children they are
raising through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provides health coverage to
eligible children through both Medicaid and separate CHIP programs. CHIP and Medicaid are the
national names, and your state may use different names.
Mississippi Medicaid and CHIP
Mississippi Division of Medicaid
601-359-3789; or 800-421-2408 (toll-free)
https://medicaid.ms.gov/
Consent to Obtain Health Care
Even with insurance, consenting to health care for a child can be a challenge for relative caregivers who
do not have legal custody. Some states have laws that allow these caregivers to “consent” to such
treatment.