The state’s departments of economic security and education announced Monday the release of over $600 million in Pandemic-Electronic Benefit Transfer funds to provide nutritional assistance to an estimated 765,000 children.
This is in addition to $200.8 million that were provided through the program last summer.
Families of children who receive free or reduced lunch at a school that’s been closed or conducting distance learning this school year, and children under 6 years of age are eligible for these new funds. This also includes families that have been receiving meals or snacks through Child Nutrition programs, they said.
“I am so thankful for the collaboration between ADE and DES to provide this federal assistance to Arizona families,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman. “Too many families have struggled with food and economic insecurity due to the pandemic over the last year. The P-EBT program will have an immediate and direct impact for Arizona’s families and students.”
The funds will be distributed starting mid-March for children under 6 and around mid-April for school-aged children. Eligible families will not need to apply, the departments said. Instead, the Arizona Department of Education send information on student eligibility and school learning models for the 2020-2021 school year to DES. The funds will then automatically be loaded on a monthly basis onto their existing P-EBT or EBT cards.
