New summer SNAP program to benefit Missouri children

By Charles Christian

Missouri families will receive a new summer grocery benefit starting in 2024.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that Missouri is one of 35 states, along with all five U.S. territories and four Tribes, that will receive a new grocery benefits program for the summer. It is a permanent program known as Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer. The program will provide families with $120 per eligible child to buy food for the summer. The benefits will be good at grocery stores, farmers markets and other authorized retailers

“This program will be especially beneficial to kids and families in rural communities,” said Chad Higdon, CEO of Second Harvest Community Food Bank.

This is because millions of children each year lose the benefits of their free school lunch benefits once summer arrives. Summer food programs tend to be more readily available in urban communities, where there is also a great need. However, according to Higdon, rural families can get overlooked.

“Summer can be the hungriest time of the year for families with school-age children,” Higdon said. “Young families are some of the most vulnerable. So this is a great opportunity to support low-income families.”

Overall, about 21 million children will benefit nationwide from this new program. According to a USDA, this is the inaugural year of the program, and states and Tribes that do not launch the program this summer will have future opportunities to opt in starting in 2025. Higdon said that even for recipients of this new benefit, assistance from distribution centers like Second Harvest will still be needed, and Second Harvest is already preparing its summer food programs.

For a list of all summer nutrition programs available to kids through the USDA, visit fns.usda.gov/summer. For SNAP applications, visit mydss.mo.gov.