New York opts into summer food program for children

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Over $200 million in federal funding is being invested into providing meals for low-income school-aged children this summer. The announcement comes after Governor Kathy Hochul decided to opt into the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program for Children.

The USDA's program is focused on combating hunger and food insecurity children face during the summertime. Governor Hochul committed to covering half of the administrative costs of operating the program. The USDA will cover the other half.

"No child should have to worry about having access to healthy, nutritious meals when school is out of session for the summer," said Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer. "We know that hunger never takes a vacation, and thanks to the Summer EBT initiative, over 2 million children across New York who rely on school meals during the year will get the assistance they need while on summer break."

Eligible families with school-age children will receive $120 per child during the summer months. Around 2 million children are expected to qualify. Information about eligibility and allocations will be released in the coming months.

The decision to opt into the Summer EBT program was lauded by Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas. González-Rojas and 31 additional Assembly Members previously called on Governor Hochul to opt into the program. “Children don’t stop feeling hunger because the seasons change. The Summer EBT program will benefit over two million children, bring hundreds of millions of federal dollars to our state, and reduce food insecurity during the summer as children prepare to go back to school."