Summer EBT Program to Offer Additional Benefits for Eligible Children

By Hamodia Staff

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul announced that New York State will opt into the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program for Children (Summer EBT), which will allocate more than $200 million in federal funding for approximately 2 million low-income school-aged children in New York.

Each eligible child, who meets eligibility for free or reduced lunches during the school year, will receive an additional $120 per month during the summer months of 2024 through this program.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service announced in July that additional funding would be available to states who opt in for the program. The program is aimed at reducing hunger and food insecurity among children who are unable to access free and reduced-price school meals during the summertime.

As of late December, 2023, New York State was not listed as a state that opted in, despite numerous state legislators and anti-hunger advocates pleading with the governor to join the program.

Governor Hochul did opt in before the deadline, and on Thursday, December 28, the governor announced that New York State will participate in the Summer EBT, and has committed to covering 50 percent of the administrative costs of operating the program, as required by the federal government. USDA will cover the other half.

“Our kids need healthy, nutritious food to grow and thrive,” Governor Hochul said. “This new federal funding will be a critical lifeline for families struggling to make ends meet.”

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said, ” We know that hunger never takes a vacation, and thanks to the Summer EBT initiative, over 2 million children across New York who rely on school meals during the year will get the assistance they need while on summer break.”