Grocery relief for families with children on the free or reduced-price school meal program is set to reach some families as soon as Friday, May 22, 2020.
“Despite this crisis, the one thing that never changes is that children need to eat,” said Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved the HHSC to provide over $1 billion dollars in food benefits to help families with the additional cost of food due to the COVID-19 school closures.
“This program will expand access to healthy and nutritious foods for families and children in need as the state continues to respond to COVID-19,” said Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Check this out to know more about foods.
The federal Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) provides a onetime benefit of $285 to families on the free or reduced-price school meal program for children five through eighteen.
For families already on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) their money will be directly loaded onto their Lone Star card (EBT card) and families who are not will receive a card in the mail.
Families who received help through SNAP during March 2020, should automatically receive their benefits on their Lone Star card by May 22, 2020.
Others who were qualified for the free or reduced-price meals, but did not receive SNAP in March, will need to apply.
Teague ISD Food Service Manager Sherry Reves explained, “If it is a household that is considered free or reduced by application there will be an application ready online at HHSC on June 1st. In the next week or so, information will be mailed to families that qualify for this onetime payment.”
Families should receive a notification from their school district by May 31, 2020 including eligibility information and how to apply, the application will be open from June 1, 2020 to June 30, 2020.
“Households may still apply for free/reduced meal benefits through May 28th (which would have been our last day of school),” Fairfield ISD Child Nutrition Director Crystal Thill stated, “The P-EBT amount will not be as much as if they had been approved when all of this started, but it is an option.
Fairfield families can apply online at www.schoolcafe.com/fisd.
Families in other school districts should check to see when they could apply through and where to apply.
During the 2019-2020 school year more than three million children are certified to be on the free or reduced-price program.
Thill also stressed that, “The application is not yet ready and information will be sent out as soon as we receive it.”
The free and reduced-price meal program provides nutrition, low-cost or free food to Texas children in public and non-profit schools that meet the federal nutrition guidelines.
“Families across our state have had to rapidly adjust to the impacts of the pandemic,” shares HHS Executive Commissioner Phil Wilson.
