USDA ANNOUNCES AN INCREASE IN THE SUMMER EBT BENEFITS FOR FAMILIES RESIDING IN GUAM AND THE CNMI
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- JANUARY 29, 2024
USDA ANNOUNCES AN INCREASE IN THE SUMMER EBT BENEFITS FOR FAMILIES RESIDING IN GUAM AND THE CNMI
(Washington, D.C.) Congressman James Moylan is delighted to share the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) efforts in addressing food insecurity in Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and providing more equitable resources for island communities.
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) will provide a higher benefit to Guam and CNMI families, as compared to the U.S. mainland, through the new, permanent summer nutrition program for children – known as Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer EBT). In summer 2024, families in both territories will receive $177 per eligible child in Summer EBT benefits to use to buy groceries during the summer. Comparatively, the benefit amount per eligible child in the U.S. mainland is $120 this summer.
“FNS’s nutrition assistance programs have a wide-reaching impact on the health and well- being of children. This new program – and the boosted benefit amount for Guam and the CNMI to reflect the higher cost of food – will help approximately 37,000 children across both territories get the nutrition they need when school is out for summer so they can grow, learn, and thrive year-round,” said FNS western regional administrator Jesus Mendoza, Jr.
Summer EBT is a new program that advances the goals of hunger, nutrition, and health to enhance food and nutrition security and improve food access and affordability. The program was authorized by Congress with bipartisan support just over one year ago, and Guam and the CNMI will be among the first to launch the program in its inaugural summer.
“We are happy to share this announcement and thank the USDA for their consideration of the challenges faced in communities such as ours and in the CNMI when it comes to logistics impacting the cost of goods. During the summer, as kids are out of school, the costs to provide meals become a greater challenge for many of our families. The programs such as the Summer EBT would bring some relief to pocketbooks while reducing any stress placed upon parents and children alike,” stated Delegate Moylan.
The 2024 Summer EBT benefit amount for the 48 contiguous United States was set by statute at $120 per eligible child for the summer. USDA used congressional authority to calculate a higher rate for Guam and the CNMI to ensure equitable access. Benefit amounts for future summers will be adjusted for inflation.
Summer EBT is one of three key strategies USDA is using to tackle child hunger during the summer months. In addition to grocery benefits, summer meal sites provide free meals to families across the country, and many rural communities now offer to-go or home-delivered summer meals to increase access to this vital nutrition support. Families are encouraged to participate in all summer nutrition programs available to them. To learn more about FNS, visit www.fns.usda.gov
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