LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced that applications for the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) program go live on April 22.
The program provides grocery-buying benefits to low-income families with school-aged children, helping close the hunger gap created during summer break.
Summer EBT benefits will be given to families on pre-loaded cards which they can use to purchase groceries. Families will receive $120 per eligible child.
These benefits work alongside other FNS nutrition assistance programs, such as summer meal sites, SNAP, and WIC, to help ensure kids have access to nutritional meals when school is out.
You may automatically qualify for Summer EBT without needing to apply. To see whether you meet the requirements, use this online tool.
You can email to scan and send in completed applications to summerEBT@dhs.arkansas.gov. Completed paper copies can also be dropped off at local DHS offices in each county. The final date to submit applications is Aug. 26.
According to Gov, Sanders, the benefits are federally funded and the program will be evenly split between federal and state funding.
“No child in Arkansas should go hungry. I’ve tasked my administration with tackling childhood food insecurity and was proud to sign our state up for the Summer EBT program, which fills critical gaps for households during the summer months,” said Gov. Sanders. “As this program takes off, I’ll continue to work with stakeholders like Senator John Boozman, who helped enact Summer EBT on the federal level, to give our children access to the meals they need.”
Arkansas Sen. John Boozman said the Summer EBT program is a step toward "modernizing the outdated summer meals program" and will "help students thrive in and out of the classroom."