By AnneMarie Harper
More than a half-million Colorado school kids can buy more healthy food, thanks to a new program from the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS). The Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer program, known as Summer EBT, sent benefit cards, pre-loaded with a one-time lump sum payment of $120, to eligible families last month. Families can use their benefits to buy most fresh, canned and frozen food items like:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Meat, dairy and eggs
- Rice, beans and dry goods
- Snack crackers and bakery cakes
- Seeds and plants that produce food for the household to eat
“Summer EBT is a critical program that helps close gaps in childhood hunger and nutrition,” said CDHS Executive Director Michelle Barnes. “I’m proud that Colorado has stepped up to implement this new and innovative program to help families.”
Students who are eligible for Summer EBT include those who qualify for free or reduced-price meals while attending a school participating in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program. Students who are receiving other assistance benefits — including SNAP and Colorado Works (TANF), or who meet National School Lunch Program income guidelines and are receiving Medicaid — can also receive Summer EBT.
Summer EBT is a new, permanent program based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer EBT for Children demonstration projects and Pandemic EBT (P-EBT), which have been proven to reduce child hunger and improve diet quality.
The benefit cards were sent out last month via the U.S. Postal Service. If families did not receive an eligibility notice and/or benefit card and think their students are eligible for 2024 Summer EBT benefits, they can call the Summer EBT support center at 800-536-5298.
Visit the Summer EBT web page for more information about the program.
The CDHS Food and Energy Assistance Division administers programs designed to safeguard the health and well-being of low-income, financially eligible households, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, the Emergency Food Assistance Program, and the Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP).
AnneMarie Harper is Director of Communications with Colorado Department of Human Services.
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