Programs News

Around 80,000 children in Delaware are eligible to receive an additional $120 in food benefits this summer to replace free lunches provided at school.

Students need to come along with their families already qualified for the benefits or meet income guidelines before summer. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the state’s cost for the program will be about $1.5 Million to administer.

As part of the pilot program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will pay $120 to each child. If all the 80,000 children come to take advantage of the program, then the total cost of the program will be $9.6 Million.

Deputy Director of the Department of Health and Human Services Tim Mastro said, “Benefits for Summer EBT are 100% federally funded. Administrative costs for Summer EBT are covered 50% by federal funds and 50% by state funds.”

Children eligible for free and healthy meals via an application from their school or children receiving food stamps or TANF benefits are automatically eligible for the Summer EBT program.

Such children will automatically receive Summer EBT benefits and the family need not take any other action. Families with children who did not qualify for SNAP or TANF need to complete a Summer EBT application to determine their eligibility for the Summer EBT Program.

Delaware along with 43 other states is launching a Summer EBT Program this year and the chances are that more states will be joining the program in 2025.

USDA expects that the Summer EBT program will serve around 21 Million children which is around 70% of the total population of children eligible for Summer EBT.

Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) is a system that gives public assistance recipients electronic access to their cash and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, also known as food stamps.

In a new program, states will offer families $120 per eligible child for the summer to purchase food at grocery stores, farmers’ markets, or other authorized retailers, like the usage of SNAP benefits.

The Department of Agriculture cited several evaluations of a multi-year demonstration project that revealed that the Summer EBT Program turned out to be instrumental in reducing child hunger and improving diet quality.

U.S. Agriculture Deputy Secretary Torres Small said, “No kid should have to spend their summer hungry or without nutritious food. 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.”

Small also said that programs like this are becoming a reality for many communities across the nation and for Millions of children to receive the nutrition they need to grow, thrive, and learn. He said, “Together we’re making progress in closing the summer hunger gap and ensuring children are nourished and healthy year-round”.