Iowa will not participate in a federal program that gives $40 per month to each child in a low-income family over the summer to help with food costs while school is out.

Iowa will not participate this summer in a federal program that gives $40 per month to each child in a low-income family to help with food costs while school is out, state officials have announced.

The state has notified the U.S. Department of Agriculture that it will not participate in the 2024 Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children — or Summer EBT — program, the state’s Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Education said in a Friday news release.

“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 said in the news release.

…

A bipartisan group of Nebraska lawmakers have urged the state to reconsider, saying Summer EBT would address the needs of vulnerable children and benefit the state economically, the Journal Star reported.

  • FuglyDuckEnglish
    52•11 months ago

    Repugnants: “We hate kids.”

    • @qooqie
      19•11 months ago

      It’s really sad because I grew up poor and relied on food assistance at school for a reliable meal during the weekdays. If I had to not eat lunch most weeks I think my childhood would’ve been arguably a lot worse

      • FuglyDuckEnglish
        13•11 months ago

        it’s infuriating. And not “mildly” infuriating. this is full on, rage-inducing pisses me off. Fortunately, we’re going the way up here; funding more free lunches.

    • ThunderingJerboa
      5•11 months ago

      but but we saved them from the evil doctors and liberals when they were in the womb, they should be thanking us.

    • @Mirshe
      1•11 months ago

      No no, “we hate YOUR kids”.