Stupid School, Stupid Rule!

Well, for you real parents out there, I am really starting to understand why parents get fed up! I used to think that some parents were just greedy gremlins with the " my child has this, that and the other" but now I realized that I was wrong.

My nephew is currently back with us for a third time. This will be a 3rd school year for us to deal with. So, me being a pro at this by now, filled out all the paperwork I needed to fill out for one who only has a power of attorney to send a kid to school.

Took 3 mths but finally starting getting Medicaid for Cody. For those of you who haven't ever taken on a child who is not yours and you do not have legal custody of, here is a little newsflash. You cannot put them on your insurance. Insurance is expensive. Kids are normally sick more than you. You need to have insurance on a kid! So hence; the Medicaid. Doing good so far, right?

Well, I filled out his free lunch application. He has recieved free lunches the other times he lived with us. We cannot claim him on our taxes because we don't have custody of him right, and therefore we are not rewarded or reimbursed our expenses with this child. On the application, as I was instructed by the school, I checked off he was a foster child. One month has passed and I am still paying for his lunches. Call food services today and they say "Oh well it's been flagged because he has the same last name as you. So I explain our situation and she says it doesn't matter. So I ask if there is any way that I can submit a letter to explain the situation and she says no there is not and it wouldn't matter anyway. So I ask if there is anyone else I can speak to and she says no there is not. (Insert Biznach!)

I went back to the food service website and found that if I do not agree with their ruling I have the right to appeal in front of a board. Wow, did not get that info from Ms. Smarty Pants 5 minutes ago on the phone. I will be writing her boss a letter to explain the situation and hoping that I get something, even reduced lunches out of this. Lunches and breakfast cost approximatly $55.00 a month, and if Cody were our child, this would not be a problem because come tax time, we'd be reimbursed. I really don't think it is fair to expect me to pay hundreds of dollars for a child who is considered fostered and I am not even being paid for it! I love Cody, and I will continue to pay for his B & L's at school or send him to school with a meal I consider healthier for him anyway because I love him. And because I love him I will write a letter of appeal because I believe that Cody deserves to be on free/reduced meals at school so that I can use the money to buy him clothes and shoes and things he needs.

The only reason they flagged the stupid application was because our last names were the same. He is not my child. He is not my husbands child. How stupid is that?