LITTLE ROCK – About 325,000 Arkansas children have qualified for Summer EBT, which provides them with $120 for food purchases during the months when they do not receive free or reduced priced meals at school.
Last summer 293,000 children qualified. The program was new and didn’t start until the middle of the summer. This year announcements were made before school let out for the summer, so more families were aware of the program.
The state Department of Human Services administers Summer EBT, which is one of three summer food programs funded by the United States Department of Agriculture. The state Education Department helps by providing lists of eligible children. Also, non-profits like the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance are helping families enroll their children.
Children are eligible if their family’s household income meets the criteria for school lunch and breakfast programs, or if the household qualifies for food stamps or welfare benefits. Officials are encouraging people to apply, even if they have questions about whether or not they qualify.
Children qualify if at any time during the past school year they attended a Head Start or Early Head Start school.
An EBT card will be sent to every child in the family who qualifies. If you have three children, you’ll receive three separate cards in three separate envelopes. There is a telephone number to call to activate the card. You’ll need to enter your child’s birthday and Social Security number and you’ll be asked to set a four-digit PIN number.
Benefits expire 122 days after they become available. If your child still has a card from last summer, it will be reloaded. The deadline for applications is August 25.
To access the DHS web site, go to ar.gov/SummerEBT. If you received benefits last year but lost your children’s cards you can call (800) 997-9999 to request a replacement. To ask general questions about Summer EBT, call 1-833-316-2421.
About 64 percent of Arkansas children are eligible for free or reduced-price meals at school. The Summer EBT program is part of a broader effort to eliminate hunger in Arkansas. Earlier this year the governor made it a priority and the legislature approved Act 123 to provide a free breakfast to every student, beginning in the 2025-2026 school year.
The state will pay $14.7 million to reimburse the cost of an estimated 7.7 million free breakfasts.
Both the Summer EBT and the free breakfast programs are being paid for with revenue from a tax on medical marijuana.
The state also provides free lunches and breakfasts to students who qualify for reduced-price meals, making them totally free of charge. Under Act 656 of 2023, families no longer have to make copayments for reduced-price meals, which averaged 40 cents for lunch and 30 cents for breakfast. Eliminating the copay cost the state about $6 million.
The governor, legislators and state education officials emphasize the importance of breakfast and lunch not only for their nutritional benefits, but also for academic benefits. Students do better in the classroom when they are not hungry.
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