Louisiana opts in to Summer EBT program: Here's who can apply
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
Louisiana will participate this year in the federal Summer EBT program that offers families extra financial support to feed their school-aged children.
Why it matters: The decision reverses course on Gov. Jeff Landry's administration's original plan not to put up the state's end of the funds needed to manage the program.
Zoom in: The new program, known as SUN Bucks, is modeled after a similar COVID-19 program and requires states to opt in.
- The program will cost $7 million, per the Illuminator. Louisiana will pay for half, and the federal government will cover the rest, plus about $71 million in food aid.
Catch up quick: Earlier this year, Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services secretary David Matlock announced the state wouldn't participate, saying families "deserve a pathway to self-sufficiency."
- That decision ignited a firestorm as civic, Republican and Democrat leaders, both statewide and locally, asked Landry to reconsider.
- But Landry initially stood by that decision, saying Louisiana already has "robust social safety net programs," according to WWL.
The latest: State lawmakers stepped in last week to fund Louisiana's end of the program.
- Starting in June, eligible families will receive a one-time payment of $120 per child.
By the numbers: The USDA says nearly 600,000 Louisiana kids are eligible for the SUN Bucks program, the Illuminator reports.
- But an estimated 250,000 kids may get caught in the gap between the end of school and the program's June start, according to numbers cited by New Orleans City Council President Helena Moreno, per NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune.
Between the lines: That's part of why New Orleans City Council transferred $1 million to the Health Department last week to fund a summer program with the Second Harvest Food Bank.
- The money will buy grocery store gift cards or bolster the food bank's programming, the paper reports.
What she said: "Food insecurity is one of the root causes of crime in our community," Moreno said in February.
- "This is a tremendous crime prevention measure that is critical for the city of New Orleans and the state as a whole."
The fine print: Some eligible families will be automatically included, but others may need to apply.
- Automatic enrollment: Kids whose families received SNAP or FITAP benefits during the 2023-2024 school year, kids receiving Medicaid, and/or received kids who applied for and were individually approved for free or reduced-price lunches through the National School Lunch Program.
- Application necessary: Children experiencing homeless or are migrants and/or who are receiving free or reduced prices but did not complete a National School Lunch Program application.
- Additional families may qualify, based on income.
- See the DCFS website for details.