The Hawaii Department of Education’s Grab-and-Go meals program will be returning on Oct. 12 through Dec. 18 to provide free meals for children.

The DOE announced the return of the program today for the fall semester. It will provide meals for children who are 18 years old and younger, even if they are not enrolled at one of the 203 public schools the program will be returning to, are public school students or are eligible for the free or reduced-price lunch program.

“We are excited to be starting up this program again, as it proved extremely successful over the summer, and we know it helps to fill a critical need in our communities. Consistent daily nutrition is so important for the continued growth and development of our keiki, especially during these challenging times,” Deputy Superintendent Phyllis Unebasami said in a statement. “We encourage parents to keep their keiki’s health a priority and to visit the nearest participating school for pick-ups.”

The meal distributions will be at lunchtime only, and pickups will include one lunch for that day and one breakfast for the following day per child. Distributions are available Monday through Friday, excluding holidays and school breaks.

Parents and guardians can pick up meals without children present, but they must present one of the following documents:

>> Official letter or email from school listing the child enrolled

>> Recent student report card

>> Attendance records from parent portals of school websites

>> Child’s birth certificate

>> Student ID card

>> Driver’s permit or license for high school students

>> State-issued identification for child

The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The meals will be available via drive-thru lines at the campuses listed on the DOE website. Walk-up lines will be offered where possible, but dine-in options will not be offered.