Colorado Joins States in Pandemic EBT Program for Kids
Colorado is among the latest states approved by the USDA to operate the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Program.
The program is designed to help families of children who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals at school while maintaining social distancing during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
For this school year, Colorado had more than 363,000 children eligible for free and reduced-priced lunch. That is approximately 43% of children in participating schools.
In audio from the USDA News Service, Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue said the loosening of some regulations will continue through the summer.
Perdue: “We had to do many many waivers initially in order to get these kids fed. And it was amazing how many communities reached up and reached out to get the kids fed.
Parents can now pick up meals without children being present and food programs are no longer required to take place in school groups. Multiple days worth of meals are now allowed to be picked up at one time. The new guidelines now extend through August 31st.
States may provide benefits to SNAP and non-SNAP households. In Colorado, families use Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards issued by the state to receive the SNAP benefits.
