January 11th, 2024 by WCBC Radio

The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced a new, permanent summer grocery benefits program for children – known as Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer. States will provide families with $120 per eligible child for the summer to buy food at grocery stores, farmers markets or other authorized retailers – similar to how SNAP benefits are used. Summer EBT is one of three key mechanisms that USDA is now using to tackle child hunger during the summer. Families are encouraged to participate in all summer nutrition programs available to them. Summer meal sites provide free meals to families and many rural communities offer to-go or home-delivered summer meals.