A Initiative of the US Department of Agriculture to feed hungry children during the long summer months is largely being phased out. Despite some problems, supporters call it a success. The federal government and many states are already working to reinstate the program permanently in 2025.
The Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program — or Summer EBT – has appeared in 37 statesthe District of Columbia and several territories and tribal nations this year. Supporters say that despite the many challenges, especially in the first year of its implementation, the program has proven to be an significant resource in the Fighting kids’ summer hunger.
Summer EBT, also known as SUN Bucksoffers low-income families with school-age children a grocery shopping allowance of $120 per child. Children are automatically enrolled in Summer EBT if you are already participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, as per USDA.
According to the USDA, students can also be automatically enrolled if their school offers the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program and their family is eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. Most Application deadlines for each state The deadlines for providing benefits this summer have already passed and many have already approved providing benefits for the summer months.
Allan Rodriguez, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said it was too early to say exactly how many children had benefited from the program this summer, but based on participating states, territories and tribes, an estimated 21 million children were eligible to receive the benefits.
“Important support for families”
Kelsey Boone, senior child nutrition policy analyst at the Food Research & Action Center, told States Newsroom that “like any new program, there are challenges with Summer EBT.”
The nationwide nonprofit organization works to reduce poverty-related hunger through research, advocacy and policy solutions.
“These included tight implementation timelines, logistical complexities and the need to raise awareness among eligible families,” Boone said.
Despite these challenges, Boone says the program is “definitely worthwhile” and “provides important support to families by ensuring that children have access to nutritious food during the summer months, bridging the time when school meals are not available.”
Boone said: “We are still in the middle of implementation, so there are no reliable statistics yet on how far the programs are actually being rolled out.”
She added, “Some states have had to go back to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and request higher benefits. This is because they are streamlining certification or automatically giving benefits to more students than expected. This is a very big benefit of the streamlined certification process.”
Boone noted that Some states have delayed at the issue The advantages“which means some families will not receive benefits until September or even October or November.”
However, Boone said that while the benefits are significant in the absence of school meals during the crucial summer months, they “will definitely be helpful.”
Over a dozen states dropped out
But 13 states – all with Republican governors – have decided not to participate in the program this yearincluding Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. Several tribal nations in Oklahoma participate even though the state decides against it.
Rodriguez said the department expects more states and tribes to provide SUN Bucks next year.
Until 1 January, states may submit a declaration of intent if they wish to participate in the Summer EBT for 2025, according to the USDA. Alabama has already Millions of dollars provided in financing the program next summer.
“We are aware that it is not an easy task to set up a new program in a very short period of time,” said Rodriguez, adding that “possible challenges may include making system changes, finding sufficient staff and securing financial resources for program management, especially [states’] Responsibility for covering 50% of the administrative costs related to the operation of the programme.”
The USDA “is committed to working closely with all states, U.S. territories and eligible tribes to support our shared goal of providing children with access to vital nutrition during the summer months through SUN Bucks,” Rodriguez added.
Justin King, policy director at Propel – a financial technology company that helps low-income Americans track their balances on Electronic Benefit Transfers such as Summer EBT through an app – said, “There’s a lot of frustration and disappointment among people who feel left out because their state has decided not to participate this year.”
The company that Partnership with the Biden administrationsupplies more than 5 million households every month.
King said, “The most important takeaway from looking at Summer EBT is that while Summer EBT presents inevitable problems and challenges, it can work and actually makes a difference for the households it supports.”
“The comments we have received from households that have benefited from the support this year have been overwhelmingly positive. They say it really has helped them to be better able to keep their children healthy and fed over the summer.”
