Orlando Sentinel
- Millions of kids living in Republican states won’t get federal grocery benefits this summer.
- Thirteen states opted out of a new federal summer nutritional assistance program.
- The non-participating states cited everything from technical issues to a dislike for welfare.
Millions of low-income kids across the US won’t have access to federal grocery benefits over the summer because they live in states that opted out of the new program.
Last year, the Department of Agriculture introduced SUN Bucks, a permanent summer electronic benefit transfer program. The program gives eligible families $120 per child to buy groceries during the summer months. SUN Bucks is a $2.5 billion effort to keep kids fed and eating healthy while they’re out of school.
The program targets low-income families who may struggle to put three healthy meals on the table each day. Tens of millions of children face increased hunger during the summer months without the certainty of free and reduced-price meals provided by schools. The Department of Agriculture estimated earlier this year that nearly 21 million children would benefit from SUN Bucks this summer.