Iowa won’t take part this summer season in a federal program that offers $40 monthly to every baby in a low-income household to assist with meals prices whereas faculty is out, state officers have introduced.
The state has notified the U.S. Division of Agriculture that it’ll not take part within the 2024 Summer time Digital Advantages Switch for Kids — or Summer time EBT — program, the state’s Division of Well being and Human Companies and Division of Schooling mentioned in a Friday information launch.
“Federal COVID-era money profit applications are usually not sustainable and do not present long-term options for the problems impacting kids and households. An EBT card does nothing to advertise vitamin at a time when childhood weight problems has change into an epidemic,” Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds mentioned within the information launch.
She added, “If the Biden Administration and Congress need to make an actual dedication to household well-being, they need to put money into already present applications and infrastructure on the state stage and provides us the flexibleness to tailor them to our state’s wants.”
States that take part within the federal program are required to cowl half of the executive prices, which might price an estimated $2.2 million in Iowa, the information launch mentioned.
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Some state lawmakers, together with Democratic Sen. Izaah Knox of Des Moines, shortly voiced their opposition to the choice.
“It is extraordinarily disappointing that the Reynolds administration is planning to reject federal cash that might put meals on the desk for hungry Iowa children,” Knox mentioned in a press release. “This merciless and short-sighted resolution could have actual impacts on kids and households in my district and communities all throughout Iowa.”
Not less than 18 states and territories and two tribal nations — Cherokee Nation and Chickasaw Nation — have introduced they intend to take part in this system in summer season 2024, in line with the Nationwide Convention of State Legislatures. The record consists of Arizona, California, Kansas, Minnesota, West Virginia, American Samoa and Guam, amongst others.
Different states, territories and eligible tribal nations have till Jan. 1 to inform the Division of Agriculture of their intent to take part in this system this summer season.
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