WASHINGTON, D.C., August 31, 2022 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has partnered with 42 states and territories across the country to provide families with summer food purchase benefits with child. These states and territories will provide about $12.5 billion in temporary nutrition benefits to about 32 million children.
Summer hunger has always been a problem when schools are closed, but electronic benefit transfers, commonly known as EBTs, are a proven way to help families cover the cost of food. These benefits are even more important in times of inflation. The Biden administration is doing everything in its power to ensure that all states are able to issue P-EBT benefits to families during the summer months when children are at higher risk of food insecurity.
“Providing children with the food and nutrition they need to live healthy lives is a year-round mission and we are proud to partner with many states and territories to provide food purchase benefits this summer, ” said Cindy Long, Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service. “We hope that all states will adopt this program to ensure that all children have access to the healthy foods they need and deserve.”
USDA Approves Program Releases State and Territory Benefits for the Program Includes:
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York , North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin.
USDA continues to actively assist other states with summer P-EBT programs.
Children are eligible for this temporary nutritional benefit, called Summer P-EBT, if they are eligible for free or reduced-price meals during the school year, or if they are under age 6 and Still alive in a household receiving SNAP benefits. Benefits are loaded onto a debit card that can be used to buy food. Eligible families with children typically receive $391 per child during the summer, with higher percentages in Alaska, Hawaii and U.S. territories.
There is strong evidence that providing families with summer child food benefits has a positive impact, for example:
- Reduce by one third the number of families with children who are always hungry;
Cover children in different geographic areas – including hard-to-reach rural populations; and Increased consumption of nutritious foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dairy products.
For more information on the program, visit the P-EBT webpage. See also the FAQ and summer P-EBT blog post.
Families seeking additional food assistance for children in their home can call the USDA National Hunger Hotline, run by America Without Hunger, which connects people to food assistance in nearby communities. The hotline is available Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm EST. Dial 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479) (English) or 1-877-8-HAMBRE (1-877-842-6273) (Spanish).
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service utilizes its 15 nutritional assistance programs to ensure that children, low-income individuals and families have the opportunity to Create a better future while building a more resilient food system. Under the leadership of Minister Tom Vilsack, FNS is working to end food and nutrition insecurity for all through programs such as SNAP, school feeding and WIC. The FNS also provides science-based nutritional advice through the co-creation of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. To learn more, visit www.fns.usda.gov and follow @USDANutrition.
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