California families to benefit from new federal summer nutrition program

California is among the 37 states and U.S. territories that have enrolled in a new summer nutrition program launched by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The states had until Jan. 1 to enroll.

Families who qualify for free-and-reduced lunches would receive $40 per child per month from the USDA’s Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer program during the months schools are out of session. The Summer EBT can be used to buy food at grocery stores, farmers markets or at other authorized merchants, according to the USDA.

Millions of children participate in USDA’s school breakfast and lunch programs during the school year, but many are without healthy meals when schools are closed for the summer. Congress passed legislation in late 2022 making Summer EBT the first new federal nutrition program in decades.

The program is expected to benefit more than 29 million children.