States and territories issue $12.5 billion in USDA’s Summer Child Food Benefits program. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) partnered with 32 states and territories to provide summer food buying benefits to families with children. The states and territories provide an estimated $12.5 billion in temporary nutrition benefits to approximately 32 million children.
USDA Food and Nutrition Service administrator Cindy Long says, “Our hope is that all states will adopt the program, ensuring that all children have access to the healthy food they need and deserve.”
Children are eligible for this temporary nutrition benefit, known as Summer P-EBT, if they are eligible for free or reduced-price meals during the school year, or if they are under age six and live in a household receiving SNAP benefits. The benefits are loaded onto a debit-type card that can be used to purchase food. Families of eligible children typically receive $391 per child for the summer, with higher rates for families in Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories.
Listen to Sabrina Halvorson’s This Land of Ours program here.
Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.