More than $200 million will help feed low-income children during summer months, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office said Thursday.
About 2 million low-income children of school age will participate in U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program for Children.
Eligible families with school-age children will receive $120 per child during the summer months.
More information on eligibility and benefit issuance will be available in the coming months.
“Our kids need healthy, nutritious food to grow and thrive,” Hochul said. “This new federal funding will be a critical lifeline for families struggling to make ends meet.”
The program is aimed at reducing hunger and food insecurity among children who are unable to access free and reduced-price school meals during the summertime.
Hochul has committed to covering 50 percent of the administrative costs of operating the program, as required by the federal government. USDA will cover the other half.
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said, “No child should have to worry about having access to healthy, nutritious meals when school is out of session for the summer. We know that hunger never takes a vacation, and thanks to the Summer EBT initiative, over 2 million children across New York who rely on school meals during the year will get the assistance they need while on summer break. I am proud to help deliver this more than $200 million in federal funding to ensure our low-income families have access to healthy food year-around, and I commend Governor Hochul for her commitment to combatting food insecurity in communities across the Empire State.”
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