Iowa won’t take part this summer time in a federal program that offers $40 per thirty days to every little one in a low-income household to assist with meals prices whereas college is out, state officers have introduced.
The state has notified the U.S. Division of Agriculture that it’s going to not take part within the 2024 Summer time Digital Advantages Switch for Kids — or Summer time EBT — program, the state’s Division of Well being and Human Providers and Division of Schooling said in a Friday information launch.
“Federal COVID-era cash benefit programs are not sustainable and don’t provide long-term solutions for the issues impacting children and families. An EBT card does nothing to promote nutrition at a time when childhood obesity has become an epidemic,” Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds mentioned within the information launch.
She added, “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.”
States that take part within the federal program are required to cowl half of the executive prices, which might price an estimated $2.2 million in Iowa, the information launch says.
Some state lawmakers, together with Democratic Sen. Izaah Knox of Des Moines, shortly voiced their opposition to the choice.
“It’s extremely disappointing that the Reynolds administration is planning to reject federal money that could put food on the table for hungry Iowa kids,” Knox mentioned in an announcement. “This cruel and short-sighted decision will have real impacts on children and families in my district and communities all across Iowa.”
Officers in close by Nebraska additionally introduced this week that the state won’t take part in Summer time EBT, which might price Nebraska about $300,000 yearly in administrative prices, the Lincoln Journal Star reported.
“In the end, I fundamentally believe that we solve the problem, and I don’t believe in welfare,” Nebraska Republican Gov. Jim Pillen instructed the Journal Star on Friday.
However Nebraska will proceed collaborating in a unique federal program, known as the Summer time Meals Service Program, which mixes programming — like studying, bodily exercise and vitamin schooling — with meals help, in response to the Journal Star.
“We just want to make sure that they’re out. They’re at church camps. They’re at schools. They’re at 4-H. And we’ll take care of them at all of the places that they’re at, so that they’re out amongst (other people) and not feeding a welfare system with food at home,” Pillen mentioned.
A bipartisan group of Nebraska lawmakers have urged the state to rethink, saying Summer time EBT would handle the wants of weak youngsters and profit the state economically, the Journal Star reported.
At the very least 18 states and territories and two tribal nations — Cherokee Nation and Chickasaw Nation — have introduced they intend to take part in Summer time EBT in 2024, according to the Nationwide Convention of State Legislatures. The record contains Arizona, California, Kansas, Minnesota, West Virginia, American Samoa and Guam, amongst others.
States, territories and eligible tribal nations have till Jan. 1 to inform the Division of Agriculture of their intent to take part in this system this summer time.
