Multi-state grocery benefit program to reach Kentucky children this summer
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday that 35 states, including Kentucky, are expected to be the first to launch a new summer grocery benefit program for children.
The program, the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer, is set to begin in summer 2024.
States participating in the program include the following:
- American Samoa
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Cherokee Nation
- Chickasaw Nation
- Colorado
- Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Guam
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Osage Nation
- Pennsylvania
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Utah
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
Overall, the USDA estimates the program will reach up to 21 million children with a total of around $2.5 billion of grocery benefits.
This means almost 70% of the total children that qualify for Summer EBT will be part of the program, the USDA says.
When broken down, the department says families will receive $120 per eligible child in the summer to buy food at authorized locations in a similar manner to SNAP.
The USDA stated this is the first year of the program, which has opportunities to grow with the goal to be nationwide.
