Concerned about the high cost of groceries, millions of families will soon receive an additional benefit to ensure children have access to food when they’re out of school.
During the school day, many students rely on free breakfast and lunch, so when summer comes, they miss out on ten meals each week.
Food banks nationwide are gearing up for a surge in demand.
“We understand that summer can be a challenging time for families,” said Jessica Morgan, the chief programs officer at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.
She explained that without access to school breakfast and lunch programs during summer, the importance of summer meal programs becomes evident.
This summer, millions of families will receive additional assistance.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that about 21 million children will benefit from the new summer grocery benefits program called Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer, or SUN Bucks in certain states.
Families with eligible school-aged children will receive $120 per child to purchase groceries during the summer at participating stores and farmers markets.
In its inaugural year, 35 states, all five U.S. territories, and four tribes are participating in the program in 2024.
Summer EBT is designed to complement existing meal programs offered by states. For SUN Bucks, families already receiving benefits like SNAP will automatically enroll their school-aged children.
Other families can apply through USDA.gov and use the agency’s Summer Meals Site Finder to locate summer meals for children in their community.
In a statement to Scripps News, the USDA highlighted that when school is out, children lose access to essential meals, putting them at a higher risk of hunger. The USDA has been addressing this summer hunger gap since 1968 by providing group meals to kids at schools and community sites. However, only 1 in 6 children who receive free or reduced-price school lunch participate in these group summer meals due to various barriers.
The USDA anticipates more states will offer summer EBT benefits next year.
