Almost 21 million children nationwide to receive new nutrition program benefits this summer

WASHINGTON, D.C.– The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Wednesday that 35 states, all five U. S. territories, and four federally recognized tribes will launch a new summer grocery benefits program for children in summer 2024.

The new, permanent program, known as the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer EBT) program, is expected to assist almost 21 million children, around 70% of the total population of eligible children nationwide explain the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, participating entities will provide families with $120 per eligible child for the summer that can be used at grocery stores, farmer's markets, and other authorized retailers, similar to how the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) works.

Participating entities include:

“Summer grocery benefits are becoming a reality for many communities across the nation and for tens of millions of children who will receive the nutrition they need to grow, learn, and thrive,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. “We applaud all the leaders and partners who are stepping up to make the program’s inaugural year a success. Together we’re making progress in closing the summer hunger gap and ensuring children are nourished and healthy year-round.”

An evaluation of a previous multi-year demonstration project revealed that providing Summer EBT reduced the number of kids with very low food security by one-third and improved diet quality state the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

This is the first year the program has been rolled out and the U.S. Department of Agriculture expects more states and tribal groups to add the program for the Summer of 2025 and beyond.

“No kid should have to spend their summer hungry, or without nutritious food,” explained the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Deputy Secretary Torres Small. "Summer EBT is a giant step forward in meeting the needs of our nation’s children and families throughout the year, and especially in the summer months.”

Summer EBT now joins other existing summer nutrition programs and some rural communities now offer to-go or delivered summer meals explain the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the 16 nutrition assistance programs, such as SNAP or WIC, together serve one in four Americans over the course of each year.

More information about the U.S. Department of Agriculture can be found here as well as the Biden-Harris Administration's National Strategy regarding equitable and accessible nutrition nationwide.