How to enroll your child in the school canteen?
At the time of school registration
When the school catering service exists within an establishment, each child educated is right to benefit from it. Registration at the canteen is carried out at the end of the school year at the time of the registration campaign for the next school year:
- Parents fill a Specific fileprovided either by the school or by the town hall, according to the local organization, which specifies the methods of attendance (days of presence, particular diets, allergies, etc.).
- Some municipalities request proof of domicile and income, which are used to calculate the price of the canteen according to the family quotients.
During the year
Registration in the canteen remains possible after the start of the school year. Parents must Contact the school or town hall To obtain the registration form and know availability. It is necessary to specify the days of the week when the child will take his meals at school. Depending on the municipalities, a processing period of a few days to a few weeks may be necessary.
How are the prices of the school canteen set?
Municipality, department and region fix the price
It belongs to the local authority on which the school of Choose the rates of the canteen. In primary school and nursery school, the price is set by the municipality, college by the department and high school by the region. The menus must be varied and adapted to the nutritional needs of children.
The service can be provided by municipal, departmental or regional staff. Meals are then cooked and served within the school. When management is entrusted to a collective catering company, meals are prepared in a central kitchen, then delivered.
A family quotient applied to the price
The community can apply a social pricing Depending on the number of children in the home or family quotient of CAF. In this case, the amount to be paid varies according to the income and the charges of each household. For their part, private establishments freely set their price.
On average, how much is a canteen card in college?
Most public colleges charge a meal Between three and six euros For families in the average tranche of the family quotient. For modest families, the cost can go down to one or two euros, or be free depending on social policy. For easier families, some colleges apply a maximum rate of up to seven to eight euros per meal.
What are the prices of the school canteen according to the family quotient?
Meals price according to household resources
The family quotient is a tool for measuring the monthly resources of a home. It allows administrations and communities to allocate certain aids, to calculate the prices of the crèche or the school canteen. The family quotient goes Act on the price of meals Served with children: the less the revenues of a home are high, the lower the canteen prices.
Tariff grid of the school catering of the Paris City Hall
In Paris, for example, the price grid counts ten slices. It applies to all nursery, elementary schools, colleges and public and municipal high schools in the city.
When should you pay the school canteen?
Payment at the start of the month or quarter
In the majority of colleges and schools, payment is requested in advance, At the start of the month or quarterto cover the meals provided for the period. Families often receive an invoice or payment notice corresponding to the number of meals registered for this month or quarter. Some municipalities use a direct debit system.
Payment for use
In some municipalities, especially for primary colleges and schools, it is possible to pay consumption, that is to say As the child really has the meal. In this case, the family recharges the canteen card via an online gate, a municipal or school counter, and the cost of meals is automatically deducted from each passage.
What aids exist to pay the school canteen?
The family quotient in kindergarten and primary
In nursery school and primary school, it is by Application of the family quotient that help with school canteen applies. Some municipalities provide other financial aid for children’s meal at school. It is advisable to inquire with his town hall.
The social fund for canteens in college and high school
The social fund for canteens is financial assistance to pay part or all of the costs of meals in college and high school. Parents must inquire with the social worker of the establishment or secretariat. The request for help is validated by the school head. Students receiving the college or high school scholarship can benefit from it.
Local aid
In addition to national aid, many local initiatives support families For the payment of the school canteen:
- Certain town halls offer good meals or occasional aid in the event of financial difficulties, allowing all children to access school catering.
- Holidays or school tickets-restaurants can be used to adjust meals.
- Several communities apply Declassive prices For siblingsin order to lighten the cost for families with several children registered in the canteen.
- Local associations or foundations can intervene occasionally to finance children’s meals in precarious situations.
How to have help to pay the school canteen?
Parents fulfilling the income conditions may send their request for help to the college or high school social workerat the School School Secretariat, the Family Allowance Fund or the Town Hall. They must complete a form and provide documents, such as a family quotient certificate.
Does CAF offer help for the canteen?
CAF can help families confronted with specific situations, which unbalance the family budget (death of a spouse, separation, birth of a child, etc.), to pay part of the children’s school canteen costs. This financial aid can only be awardedexceptional And as a last resort. The request must be made to the CAF.
In addition, theBack -to -school allowance (ARS) paid by CAF can be used freely by families, including to finance the canteen.
What is the “canteen at € 1” help?
State aid for communities
Since 2019, communities can benefit from financial aid paid by the State when they set up Social pricing in their canteens. This aid, called “€ 1 canteen”, benefits the municipalities, inter -municipal educational groups and public inter -municipal cooperation establishments of less than 10,000 inhabitants.
Which changed on July 26, 2025
Since July 26, 2025, communities that have never asked for help before can no longer do it From this date. All financing requests or subsidies sent after the 26th July will be rejected. Communities who submitted their files before July 25, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. will see their request examined.
Communities already registered in the program continue to receive support and can Ask for the Egalim bonusFinancial bonus linked to the quality and sustainability of meals. These communities can renew their agreement until December 31, 2027, which guarantees stable funding for several years.
Terms
To benefit from this system, communities had to meet the following conditions:
- Have set up a Three -sliced canteen pricing grid (a less than or equal to one euro and a euro).
- Propose a rate less than or equal to one euro for families with a family quotient less than or equal to 1,000 euros.
- Have deliberated on the implementation of social pricing.
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