WEDNESDAY, Jan. 10, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Almost 21 million American children could receive food benefits this summer, thanks to a new federal assistance program, U.S. government officials said Wednesday.

Thirty-five states, all five U.S. territories and four tribes have all signed up for the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer program (Summer EBT), which will supplement existing nutrition programs during the months school isn’t in session.

“No child in this country should go hungry,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told the Associated Press. “They certainly shouldn’t go hungry because they lose access to nutritious school meals during the summer months.”

“Summer EBT provides an unprecedented opportunity to reduce child hunger during the summer months,” Cindy Long, administrator of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), said recently in a USDA news release. “FNS is thrilled to see trailblazing states and tribes step up and make early commitments to expanding summer nutrition benefits for children in their communities.”

The states that chose not to opt in for this summer will have a chance to join for summer 2025, the USDA added.

Families with children who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches will be eligible for Summer EBT, which will cover about 70% of the eligible population in its first year.

Once the program is fully deployed nationwide, it is expected to benefit more than 29 million children, the USDA added.

In an October report, the USDA said an estimated 17 million U.S. households struggled to find enough food in 2022. That was up from 13.5 million in 2021, when there was more federal food aid because of the pandemic.

Eligible families will receive $40 per month per child during the summer — a total of $120 per child. The money will be loaded on an EBT card, which can be used at stores that also take Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, the USDA said.

The USDA estimates it will provide a total of $2.5 billion in grocery benefits in 2024 through the Summer EBT program, the AP reported.

The Cherokee Nation is one of the four tribes that’ll be a part of the program’s first summer. Cherokee National Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said it was an easy decision.

“I think we’re seeing a lot of pressures on households in terms of rent or other housing costs, all of that hitting very finite household budgets,” he told the AP. “This puts a dent in that overall problem by empowering parents to just simply be able to go out and purchase more food and some healthy options that are available.”

As for states, Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont and Wyoming chose not to participate this summer, the AP reported.

Nebraska, Iowa and Oklahoma pointed to existing programs that already feed children during the summer, the AP reported.

All 50 states now administer the Summer Food Service Program, which provides sites where kids can eat for free. Still, Vilsack told the AP that he’s worried it doesn’t “provide the help for all the children, no matter how well-intentioned it is.”

“For the life of me, I don’t see why 50 governors aren’t doing [Summer EBT],” he added. “But we’re happy that 35 are, we’re happy that territories are in and we’re happy that the tribes are continuing to work with us.”

More information

Visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture for more on the EBT program.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Agriculture, news release, Jan. 3, 2024; Associated Press

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