(NewsNation) — A new federal program aimed at reducing child hunger will impact nearly 21 million low-income kids, but more than eight million kids will be left out.
Set to begin this summer, the program will give low-income families $120 for each eligible child to be used to purchase food at grocery stores, farmers’ markets and other approved retailers.
Children who qualify for the free or reduced-price school meals program will be eligible for the Summer EBT program when school is not in session.
States had to opt into the program by Jan. 1. This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced 35 states, all five U.S. territories and four tribal nations had signed up for the program.
But 15 states have said they would not join, labeling the program as an outdated pandemic relief measure.
Food insecurity rose to 12.8% of U.S. households, or 17 million households, in 2022, up from 10.2%, or 13.5 million households, in 2021, according to the USDA.
“If the Biden administration and Congress want to make a real commitment to family well-being, they should invest in already existing programs and infrastructure at the state level and give us the flexibility to tailor them to our state’s needs,” Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a statement last month about her state’s decision to reject the program.
The states that did not apply for Summer EBT are Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont and Wyoming.
These states are all currently Republican-led.
Vermont’s Department for Children and Families said it did not participate because the requirements were “very detailed and extensive.” But it said it would be open to participating in “this important summer nutrition benefit” in 2025.
Oklahoma also cited bureaucratic and logistical concerns and did not rule out participating in the future.
Even some of the Republican states that opted in cautioned that a lot of work remains to get the program running by the summer.
