- Approximately 21 million children in the United States and its territories are expected to receive food benefits this summer through the Summer EBT program.
- The USDA announced that 35 states, all five U.S. territories, and four tribes have participated in the program.
- The U.S. Congress made Summer EBT permanent starting in 2024 after several years of testing by the USDA.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday that approximately 21 million children in the United States and its territories will receive food benefits this summer through a new permanent federal program.
Thirty-five states, all five U.S. territories, and four tribes participated in the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer Program (Summer EBT). The government said the program complements its existing summer program, which had a more limited scope.
“No child in this country should ever go hungry,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in an interview with The Associated Press. “They certainly don't want to go hungry during the summer because they won't have access to nutritious school meals.”
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After USDA tested Summer EBT for several years, Congress voted in December 2022 to make Summer EBT permanent starting in 2024. States that choose not to participate this summer will have a chance to participate in summer 2025, according to the USDA.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack holds up a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Electronic Benefits Transfer (SNAP EBT) card during a press conference at the White House on May 5, 2021 in Washington. About 21 million children could receive food benefits this summer through a newly made permanent federal program. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
Who is eligible for Summer EBT?
Families with children who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch (i.e., households at or below 185% of the federal poverty line) are eligible for summer EBT, which covers approximately 70% of the eligible population. 1st year.
An estimated 17 million U.S. households will report not being able to find enough food in 2022, the Department of Agriculture announced in an October report. That number is up from 13.5 million households in 2021, when pandemic-era federal food assistance increased.
How much will my family receive?
Eligible families will receive $40 per child per month during the summer, or a total of $120 per child. The funds will be loaded onto her EBT card and can be used at stores that also receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
USDA estimates that it will provide a total of $2.5 billion in food benefits in 2024 through the Summer EBT program.
Who opted in?
The Cherokee Nation is one of four tribes to participate in the first summer. Cherokee National Principal Chuck Hoskin Jr. said it was an easy decision.
“I think we are seeing a lot of pressure on household budgets in terms of rent and other housing costs, all of which are hitting very limited household budgets,” he added. Ta. “…this will put a stop to the overall problem by empowering parents” to simply go out and buy more food and healthier options. ”
The Cherokee Nation is headquartered in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, a state that opted out of summer EBT. Hoskin said he expects to see more applications from non-tribal residents living on the reservation.
Which states will not participate and why?
Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont and Wyoming have opted not to participate this summer. did.
Nebraska, Iowa, and Oklahoma cited existing programs that already provide meals to children during the summer as a reason for not participating in Summer EBT.
Thomas Vasquez, a spokesman for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, said in a statement to The Associated Press that implementing a summer EBT program this year is “not feasible” in Texas. He cited the Department of Agriculture's guidance to be released in late December, the “level of effort” required to start the new program, and the need for the state Legislature to approve funding for it. Ta.
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Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt said in a statement: “I do not want a single child in Oklahoma to go hungry. I will continue to work to achieve that goal, but with large and overlapping federal programs, that goal cannot be achieved. cannot be achieved.”
“They put families through even more red tape.”
What other federal summer food programs are available?
All 50 states already have summer food service programs that provide children with a place to eat for free. Vilsack said she worries that “no matter how well-intentioned it may be, not all children will receive assistance.”
“I'll never know why 50 governors wouldn't do it (summer EBT),” he said, “but we're happy that we have 35 participating, the territories participating. “We're happy that the tribe continues to work with us.” ”
