Programs News

Code for America, a civic tech nonprofit, has unveiled a playbook aimed at assisting state governments in linking students to nutritious food during the summer using the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer program, a new federal initiative.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration leads the summer EBT Program to support the nutritional well-being of 30 Million children receiving free school meals. According to a 2020 report, the $3.6 Billion initiative builds upon USDA’s Pandemic EBT Program to reduce hunger and food insecurity among school-aged children. 

Code For America teamed up with No Kid Hungry to create the playbook and help states overcome the hurdles. 

The USDA Program will provide eligible households with $40 per child this month to purchase groceries. States can opt into the program by January 1. At present, nearly 18 states, tribal nations, and territories have already opted into the program. 

Davis and Kirk-Epstein think that assessing the data to identify eligible students can be a challenge because states lack centralized databases. Consequently, states would have to coordinate with the school districts to fetch data from them. 

Another aim of the playbook is to assist states in formatting accessible applications, show them how to communicate effectively and encourage participation. 

Davis said, “They’re going to need clear, transparent, consistent information from sources that they know and trust about what the program is, how they can use those benefits, how they know if their children are eligible, and how to access the program. Families are going to need help navigating this new program.”