DES MOINES, Iowa — For the second year in a row, Gov. Kim Reynolds has opted out of the federal Summer EBT program that would provide grocery money to low-income families with eligible children.
In its place, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services submitted a waiver request to implement a different summer feeding project that would use money for existing summer meal programs.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's $2.5 billion initiative — of which $29 million would've gone to Iowa — provides low-income eligible families $120 per child to buy groceries during the summer.
The state said their proposed "demonstration project" would expand eligibility to nearly 60,000 more kids and provide more nutritious food at a lower cost while utilizing already existing infrastructure
"Last year, I invested $900,000 to expand two other USDA summer feeding programs operated by the Iowa Department of Education that provide healthy, balanced meals and snacks for school-age children statewide," Reynolds said in a statement. "Our plan for 2025 builds upon that concept to promote food security and better health for more Iowa children.”
The additional funding for Iowa's 2024 summer feeding programs created 61 new meal sites, something the proposed project would utilize, the news release states.
Reynolds said the proposed project would expand eligibility for existing summer feeding programs to 200% of the federal poverty level, or about $62,000 for a family of four. The state estimates the project would serve 300,000 food-insecure children with the distribution of three monthly boxes of healthy foods at meal sites, versus the estimated 244,000 that would be covered through the EBT program.
The state's project will also include food box delivery options for families with transportation issues.
"The complex issues of food insecurity and obesity cannot be solved with cash benefits that don't actively promote health, nutrition-dense food, or reach all Iowa children in need," HHS Director Kelly Garcia said. "In Iowa, our focus is on the comprehensive well-being of this generation of young Iowans. Our solutions to promote healthy behaviors and well-balanced, nutritious diets for children must be comprehensive and holistic."
The state had until Thursday to submit a plan to the USDA for Summer EBT, otherwise, the state would've been opted out of the program.
The USDA told Local 5 that the department will "review this waiver request just like we do with any other demonstration pilot project."
"While we strongly disagree with the Governor’s decision to yet again reject federal funding to feed 485,000 Iowa kids next summer, we will try to work with the Governor to make sure no kid goes hungry," Rep. Sami Scheetz, D-Cedar Rapids said in a statement.
Food insecurity advocates urged the governor to opt in, including the Iowa Hunger Coalition which had collected over collected over 4,000 signatures on a petition delivered to Reynolds.
Following the state's decision to opt out, the organization released a statement that said in part:
"We remain steadfast in our belief that using Summer EBT ... is the best decision Iowa could make. The research is clear: when parents have more money available to purchase food, it empowers them to make more nutritious choices for their family."
Oklahoma has also opted out of the Summer EBT Program for 2025, according to media reports.