New York state is distributing nearly $200 million in federal summer food assistance to over 1.5 million children this summer, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday.
Hochul said the new program, Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT), provides $120 in food assistance per child to families who applied. According to the governor’s office, some families have already received the cash assistance and others will in the coming weeks.
“This is positive for our families, and as a result, families can worry a little less about what they have to do for our kids,” Hochul said during a Thursday morning news conference at Manhattan’s Lower East Side Girls Club.
The program assists low-income families in purchasing groceries during the summer months, when food costs can be higher because children are not getting free school meals. The benefits are loaded onto a debit card and can be used to buy produce, meat, whole grains or dairy products at stores participating in the program.
Families with children who already receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance benefits, free school meals through Medicaid, or the National School Lunch Program are automatically eligible, according to the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. Those who are not automatically eligible can apply if their child attends a school that is part of the National School Lunch Program and their income is 185% federal poverty level.
Additionally, Hochul said there are still hundreds of thousands of children who are eligible for the benefit, but their families have yet to apply for it, Hochul said. So, the state has extended the application deadline through Sept. 3. Families can check their eligibility and apply for the benefit at ny.gov/summer-ebt.
“Help our families get this money because they need it,” Hochul said.
Rachel Sabella, director of the organization No Kid Hungry, said the program will give families much-needed relief during the summer months.
“By providing $120 per child directly on a debit card that can be spent at grocery stores and local markets, anywhere that accepts SNAP benefits, Summer EBT makes it easier for eligible families to buy food for their children,” Sabella said. “It helps ensure children get the nutrition they need in the summertime when schools are closed, and helps families who often see a strain on their grocery budget during summer break.”
US Rep. Dan Goldman, a Democrat who represents lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, said the program is not just about helping low-income families, but also boosting the economy.
“When parents can continue to work in their jobs and they don’t have to choose between child care and their careers, that benefits the economy,” Goldman said at the press conference. “And every dollar that we put into childcare yields far more than $1 of a benefit to our economy. So this is something that is not only good for our families, but it is good for our country.”
