Ga., S.C. decline federal food program for low-income kids
AUGUSTA, Ga. - Up to 20 million American kids will have access to food this summer through a new, federally funded program.
But kids in Georgia and South Carolina won’t be among them.
Neither state will be participating in the Summer EBT card for kids who receive free or reduced-cost meals during the school year.
It would have $40 a month loaded onto it – for each of the three summer months – that they could use at grocery stores, farmers markets and other places.
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At least a dozen states are opting out – including Georgia and South Carolina.
States would be on the hook for 50% of istrative costs for the program, which builds off another summer feeding program in place during the pandemic.
“That was a COVID-related benefit, extra,” South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said. “We’ve got to get back to doing normal business. We can’t be doing that forever, but we’re still continuing all the other programs that we have.”
Kemp’s staff expressed similar sentiments.
“This federal COVID-era EBT program not only lacks basic nutritional requirements and sustainability but fails to address the mission of improving the health and wellness of our children,” said Kemp spokesman Garrison Douglas.
States that don’t participate this summer could still opt in for 2025.
South Carolina says in future years, it’ll need to evaluate how this program is working in other states – and whether the money is available to fund it.
Kemp’s office, meanwhile, touted the success of the state’s Seamless Summer program, istered by the state’s Department of Education:
- Seamless Summer provided 2,569,326 breakfasts and 3,221,428 lunches in 2023, with the majority of districts participating.
- 53 districts served meals under the non-congregate meal option for counties with “rural” designations,” allowing families to pick up five breakfasts and five lunches per child each week, without the requirement to consume the meal onsite.
- Happy Helpings, Georgia’s Summer Food Service Program, reimburses organizations that serve free healthy meals and snacks to children and teens in low-income areas when school is not in session. In summer 2023, 2.8 million meals were served through Happy Helpings at 997 feeding sites across the state.
- To further increase the availability of free meals and snacks to children, the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning offered state-funded startup grants in 2022 and 2023 to organizations willing to establish feeding sites in unserved areas of the state.
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