DEARBORN — Parents of students enrolled in Dearborn Public Schools will be receiving new or additional food benefits in the coming months.

Earlier this month, the state announced that it would provide additional food benefits for any students who are eligible for free lunch or breakfast through schools and whose schools were not entirely open for at least some part of this school year due to the pandemic.

Dearborn Schools offers free lunch and breakfast to all students through a special provision of the National School Lunch Program.

Because of the district being entirely remote through February of this school year, all students qualify for the new benefits.

Families who already have a Bridge Card and receive benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will see the additional amounts automatically added to their cards in March.

They will then continue to see additional amounts added periodically through June.

Families do not need to apply for this additional assistance.

Families not currently enrolled will receive a new Bridge Card in the mail.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) plans to mail one card per Dearborn student.

The amount of the benefits will vary by month depending on the number of school days and if the child’s school was providing in-person learning.

Families are expected to receive approximately $127.53 monthly per eligible child during the time Dearborn was remote only and approximately $77.06 for each child for the months the district is in hybrid learning.

Benefits will be retroactive to September and will be paid through June.

Families with questions are encouraged to contact MDHHS directly as Dearborn Public Schools is not involved with the administering of SNAP benefits.

The district said the benefits will not impact its free weekly meal distribution.