Why Texas turned down millions for child hunger assistance

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Texas rejected millions of dollars that would have supplemented needy families' nutrition assistance during summer months, citing challenges with administering the federal program meant to bridge the gap when children cannot get meals in school.

The US Department of Agriculture's Summer EBT program offers states $40 per eligible child every month during the summer. In Texas, that would mean almost $150 million in additional funding for the more than 1.2 million children on food assistance. But state officials say they don't have the resources to implement it.

"Ensuring children have access to adequate nutrition supports during the summer months is a priority for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission," Jennifer Ruffcorn with Texas HHSC told Nexstar. "Due to... current resource constraints at the state agencies, the level of effort needed to implement a new program, and the need for new appropriations from the Legislature, it is not feasible for Texas to successfully launch Summer EBT in 2024."

Ruffcorn said states did not receive final guidance on the program until Dec. 29 -- just three days before the deadline to accept. She says the state will continue to work with state and federal agencies to evaluate implementing the Summer EBT program in the future.

In Texas, one in eight people are at risk of going hungry -- including one in five children, according to Feeding Texas. That's higher than the national average. Feeding Texas says those challenges only worsen in the summertime when kids can't eat at school.

"When they lose out on those meals, we see hunger spike," Feeding Texas CEO Celia Cole said. "We see a lot more families with kids in our lines who need additional food. So this new program, Summer EBT, is really intended to fill that gap and make sure that kids stay nourished in the summer and go back to school ready to learn."

Cole says Texas' inability to adopt the new program is a symptom of longstanding issues inside Texas HHSC. The agency has been battling staffing shortages and backlogs in administering SNAP and Medicaid all year, leading to urgent pleas from whistleblowers who say they have an unsurmountable workload.

"They're struggling to keep up just with the benefits that they're already administering," Cole said. "They just don't have the bandwidth right now. It's a matter of financial resources. There will be some startup implementation costs for this program that it's hard to estimate. But I think they feel like they need additional resources through the legislature. And of course, the legislature won't be meeting again until 2025. That's our understanding of the barriers."

While the deadline has passed, the USDA says the list of participating states continues to grow. They say they will publish a final list soon.

“USDA is pleased to see the progress made in launching Summer EBT in its inaugural year," a USDA spokesperson told Nexstar. "This summer feeding model is proven to reduce child hunger and increase healthy eating, and we are excited about the number of states, tribes and territories who recognize its potential for giving children the best possible start at a good life.”

USDA said they will provide "extensive assistance, trainings, tools, and more" to each state, territory, and tribe that commits to implementing the program.

In the meantime, HHSC points Texans in need to these resources to seek food assistance:

• Contact 2-1-1 Texas Information and Referral Network (TIRN) by phone at 2-1-1, Option 1, or online. The hotline can refer Texans in need to social services like food pantries.

• An HHSC-certified Community Partner. This program can provide a list of local services like food banks and community kitchens, connect people with financial counseling, and offer guidance on budgeting and debt management.