DoHS and WVDE plan for start of Summer EBT Program for residents of the Mountain State
CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — The West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS), along with the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE), announced a new benefit program.
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This program will help school-age children who live in low-income households.
During the summer months, The West Virginia Summer EBT (WV-SEBT) program will give assistance for short-term grocery benefits for income-eligible households with school-age children. The application period for this program begins on April 22, 2024, and can be found at schoolcafe.com or completed at a local DoHS county office.
“Ensuring every child has access to nutritious meals is a cornerstone of building strong, healthy communities. The launch of the WV-SEBT program represents a crucial step forward in supporting our state’s residents by providing essential grocery assistance during the summer months, as we maintain our commitment to fostering a brighter future for West Virginia children,” said Janie Cole, DoHS Bureau for Family Assistance Commissioner.
Not all children that attend a school that gives free food to students will be eligible for this benefit. Children are only eligible based on their household’s low-income status. Children that are eligible include those that participate in the National School Lunch Program or that qualify for reduced-priced meals from school.
“Summer poses a significant challenge to children who are away from school and facing food insecurity. Even though students are out of school for the summer, hunger does not take a break, and this program is essential to meeting the nutritional needs of our school children. We know families continue to struggle from pandemic aftershocks, and the WV-SEBT program will fill an important nutrition gap for thousands of students,” said Michele L. Blatt, State Superintendent of Schools.
If a households from West Virginia are already receiving certain benefits such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or WV WORKS, and have children between the ages of six and 17, they are automatically enrolled in the Summer EBT program. If children in a low-income household are going to Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools, they have to complete an application and check if their income qualifies.
Eligible children will receive their one-time $120 benefit on a brand new Summer EBT card and cannot be loaded onto previous cards. Cards will be mailed to the child’s address and contain the child’s school or their public benefit case. Benefits will be reached by June 2024.
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202,000 children are estimated to be eligible in the state of West Virginia. For more information, visit wvsebt.org or contact 1-866-545-6502.
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