Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan is stepping up to address a critical issue: food insecurity among children during the summer months. With her latest proposal to expand the Bridge Card program (Michigan’s version of EBT) to children who benefit from free or reduced-price lunches during the school year, she’s targeting a gap that leaves many families struggling when schools shut for summer.
In Michigan, school meals are not just about feeding hungry mouths; they’re a lifeline providing nutritious, affordable food for children. But with the summer break, this lifeline gets cut, leaving families, especially those in financially precarious situations, facing heightened food insecurity. The impact is not just immediate hunger; studies link food insecurity to health issues, developmental delays, and academic hurdles for children.
Governor Whitmer’s initiative proposes to bridge this gap by extending Bridge Card benefits to eligible kids throughout the summer. This move would not just fill stomachs but also provide families with the means to buy groceries, ensuring children have access to nutritious food all year round. A significant budget commitment of $100 million is earmarked to fund this initiative.