Statement: No Kid Hungry New York’s Rachel Sabella on Extension of Pandemic EBT through Summer 2022
“This just makes sense. Making sure families have additional grocery benefits during the summer months is an effective and proven way to prevent kids from going hungry when schools are out,” says Sabella.
Contact: Johanna Elsemore at jelsemore@strength.org
4/26/21, WASHINGTON, DC — This morning, the United States Department of Agriculture announced it would extend Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) benefits through the summer. PEBT provides grocery benefits, approximately $34 a week, to help parents cover the costs of the free or reduced price-meals their kids would normally receive in school. And according to the USDA announcement, “P-EBT builds on lessons learned from USDA’s Summer EBT pilots,” which “have proven successful at reducing severe food insecurity as well as improving the quality of children’s diets.” The following is a statement from No Kid Hungry New York Director Rachel Sabella about what this means for children and their families.
“Today’s announcement from the USDA is more good news for kids in New York.
Pandemic EBT is a practical, efficient way to reach more kids with the food they need when they are not in school. It works alongside programs like summer meals, WIC and SNAP to give states and communities the resources and flexibilities they need to combat hunger, especially in the summer months.
These programs have been a lifeline for families in New York throughout a tumultuous year. Expanding these benefits through summer could impact more than 2.3 million kids in all corners of New York and bring as much as $874.3 million in benefits to families in our state.
Making sure families have an additional grocery benefit during the summer months just makes sense. Kids face a higher risk of hunger during the summer, due in part to challenges like transportation, scheduling and even weather. P-EBT provides a direct benefit to families, which helps to overcome these challenges and get food to kids.
These benefits are especially essential in the wake of the COVID 19 pandemic, when millions of families continue to face increased financial strain and hardship. It also provides a strong return on investment; summer hunger is linked to summer learning loss (also known as the ‘summer slide,’) as well as a higher likelihood of illnesses and emotional stress.
This summer, P-EBT will help parents purchase more of the food their kids need, when they need it. We look forward to learning more very soon as the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance puts out their plans and are delighted that more kids will be able to get the meals they need once P-EBT is fully implemented.”