FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: October 31 2024
Contact: Jon Ebelt, Communications Director, DPHHS
Brian O'Leary, Communication Director, OPI
DPHHS, OPI Begin Issuing Summer EBT Program Cards
More than 75,000 Montana children are expected to receive benefits from the food assistance program
Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) Director Charlie Brereton and Office of Public Instruction (OPI) Superintendent Elsie Arntzen today announced the launch of a new Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer EBT) program, with more than $9 million in funding reaching qualified families.
“The Summer EBT program helps ensure low-income Montana children have access to healthy and nutritious food, and we appreciate the partnership with OPI to help make this program a reality for communities across our state,” Dir. Brereton said.
Families who qualify for Summer EBT will receive a benefit amount of $120 per child. Card issuance began this week by mail. Families will also receive client education materials and information about how the benefits can be utilized.
DPHHS officials emphasize Summer EBT is a new program for Montana. A list of stores that are accepting Summer EBT is available online on the OPI website. The retailer list will continue to be updated.
One card will be issued per household. The card may contain benefits for multiple children within the household.
“The Summer EBT program focuses on supporting our Montana students,” Superintendent Arntzen said. “Montana is leading the nation through our innovative Direct Certification Program, which creates a more efficient process for families. I am thankful for the strong partnership between my agency and DPHHS.”
Congress authorized Summer EBT as a permanent program on December 23, 2022, and Montana was among the first states to formally announce intent to participate.
The program provides grocery-buying benefits to low-income families with school-aged children during the summer months of June, July, and August, when schools are closed for the summer break. In this first year of the program, the benefits are being issued after summer with federal approval.
Benefits paid to families are 100% federally funded.
Usage will follow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program rules and benefits may only be used for in-person purchases of eligible items at participating retailers.
Summer EBT is for students who are eligible to receive free and reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) or directly certified.
Summer EBT is an evidence-based policy; research shows that providing families with summer grocery benefits reduces child hunger, supports healthier diets, and prevents adverse health outcomes.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) tested Summer EBT as a demonstration project in select states for several years. Research demonstrated that the program decreased the number of kids with very low food security by about one-third.
DPHHS and OPI share responsibilities for implementing Summer EBT, with DPHHS serving as the lead agency for federal purposes. OPI will manage the application process, validate eligibility, and handle client communications.
DPHHS will issue the EBT cards, manage card usage, investigate client fraud complaints, and oversee budget and program reporting to the USDA.
For more information about the Summer EBT program, visit Summer EBT (mt.gov). Interested Montanans can also call the program hotline at (406) 444-0044 or email S-EBT@mt.gov.