An estimated 13 million children in 25 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico will receive benefits through the summer EBT program, said the Agriculture Department on Monday. Families of eligible children typically receive $391 per child for the summer.
The USDA said it was working with states to help them participate in the program. Cindy Long, administrator of the Food and Nutrition Service, said the EBT program, which delivers benefits through a debit-type card, was directed at children who receive free or reduced-price meals during the school year and children under age 6 who are in households enrolled in SNAP.
In May, the think tank Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said the summer EBT program “is a highly effective strategy to reduce food hardship among families with children.” If all states participated, $13 billion in benefits would be directed to 36 million children nationwide, it said.