- The Biden administration will extend food security programs through the American Rescue Plan.
- About 34 million children will receive about $375 for the roughly 10 weeks they are out of school during the summer.
- Until this point, only 20 percent of eligible children benefited from summer feeding programs, officials say.
The Biden administration announced a new campaign Monday that will provide food security to 34 million children in low-income households.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed that the Summer Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) will be expanded to allocate $375 per child for food expenses. The money will be delivered via an EBT card issued through the mail. The money will cover roughly the 10 weeks when kids are out of school.
Eligible children include those who receive free or discounted school meals or children under the age of 6 who live in a home that participates in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program.
“This is the single largest summer child nutrition effort in our nation’s history,” Psaki told the press.
Prior to this summer, feeding programs have reached less than 20 percent of eligible families, Psaki said.
The extended program is part of American Rescue Plan, which allocates $350 million dollars in federal funding toward state and local communities to help address pandemic-related economic hardships.
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