![]() ![]() ![]() Iowa has participated in the program in previous years, distributing benefits to about a quarter-million children in the state. I am thankful that DHHS is making this happen." "The P-EBT summer benefits will help ensure that Iowa's children will not go hungry this summer. "Day after day we see more new faces at our food pantries, said Anne Bacon, executive director of IMPACT Community Action Partnership. In a news release Thursday, members of the Iowa Hunger Coalition applauded the state for deciding to participate in the program. "We should never leave resources on the table when it comes to caring for our kids." Sarah Trone Garriott, D-Waukee, said in a news release. This is the right thing to do for our families and communities,” Sen. "I’m happy and relieved to see our state moving forward to feed Iowa kids this summer. On Wednesday, they cheered the news that the state would apply. Kim Reynolds on June 22, calling for her to apply to participate in the program. Those children had previously been able to receive benefits, but are no longer eligible with the expiration of the federal COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11.Ī group of Polk County Democratic legislators wrote a letter to Gov. Unlike past years, children younger than 6 in households who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will not automatically qualify. Department of Agriculture and has undergone several changes since it was created in 2020. More than 203,000 students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch during the 2022-23 school year, according to data from the Iowa Department of Education. This year, eligible families will be able to receive EBT cards preloaded with $120 per student that can be used at grocery stores to help pay for food during the summer. "We will continue to discuss with our federal partners ways to improve the program by ensuring it is focused on supporting children and families rather than the burdensome administrative processes required to implement it," Carfrae said in an email Tuesday night. The program was created in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and provides eligible families with cards paid for by the federal government that can be used to buy food at grocery stores.Īnti-hunger advocates and Democratic lawmakers had called on the state to apply, after an official previously told advocates that Iowa would not participate this year.Īlex Carfrae, a spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, said the state will participate. Iowa is one of a handful of states that has yet to apply for the summer Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer program or P-EBT. Iowa will apply for a federal program providing summer grocery money to school-age children who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches at school. ![]()
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