Michigan is the first state approved for a federal program to help feed kids who rely on school meals amid COVID-19 pandemic.
The United States Department of Agriculture announced Thursday that Michigan is the first state approved for the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer - or Pandemic EBT program.
The program is a supplemental food purchasing benefit to current SNAP participants and as a new EBT benefit to other eligible households to offset the cost of meals that would have otherwise been consumed at school.
The Pandemic EBT program is authorized by the Families First Coronavirus Act – or FFCRA, signed by President Trump. It provides assistance to families of children eligible for free or reduced-price meals dealing with school closures.
Michigan had nearly 750,000 children eligible for free-and reduced-priced lunch for the 2019-2020 school year, according to the USDA.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order last Thursday that ends all face-to-face K-12 schooling for the rest of the academic year due to COVID-19.