This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it would provide $100 million in grants to help local governments set up a new permanent federal nutrition program to help families buy groceries for their children during the summer.
Nevada is on track to distribute the $120 grocery benefit for each eligible school-aged child in mid-September as part of the new summer nutrition assistance program, known as Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer. The program was created by Congress in 2022.
Payments will be distributed in one lump sum to eligible households with children from Pre-K through the 12th grade. State health officials estimate that 350,000 children in Nevada will be eligible for the summer food benefits program.
The Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services (DWSS), which will administer the program, successfully secured $6.2 million in state funding they needed for the administrative costs of the program in June. Although the program is largely funded by the federal government, states need to pay half the cost of administering the program.
Now Nevada is one of 36 states, Tribal Nations, and U.S. territories eligible for the one-time grant, meant to upgrade technology systems needed to effectively run the program.
Officials for the DWSS said Nevada has the funding it needs to implement the Summer EBT program for the 2024 and 2025 summer periods, but that “future system enhancements will be needed” to sustain the program.
“DWSS will explore the grant to support those enhancements,” said Kristle Muessle, a spokesperson for the division.
Summer EBT is part of the USDA’s larger Summer Nutrition Programs for Kids, which lower grocery costs for families and improve food and nutrition security during summer break when kids lose access to school meals. Families are encouraged to participate in all federal nutrition programs available over the summer and can visit USDA’s SUN programs website to learn more.
Summer EBT is the first federal nutrition program passed by Congress in decades. Congress passed bipartisan legislation in late 2022, making Summer EBT permanent for states that opt-in.
Xochitl Torres Small, the deputy secretary for the USDA, called the program a “game changer” in the fight against child hunger.
“About 30 million kids have free or reduced lunch all across the country as part of a USDA program, but then during the summer, they don’t have that meal, and that’s a big reason why Summer EBT was established,” Torres Small said.
The funds are available to all agencies implementing Summer EBT this year, as well as those planning to launch the program next summer. Only about half of U.S. states have opted into the Summer EBT program, but the additional funding may incentivize more states to join, Torres Small said.
“To set up a new program, it takes funding. It takes funding to get the word out about the program, to develop your website, and to store eligibility information. All of that requires IT investments and other investments,” Torres Small said.