Greetings—


Food insecurity increases among households with children during the summer, when children no longer have consistent access to free or reduced-price meals at school. To address this gap in food assistance,
[link removed]
Summer EBT, a newly launched federal program, provides grocery benefits to low-income families with children during summer months.


Urban Institute researchers, in collaboration with the American Public Human Services Association, surveyed state Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) directors to better understand what challenges they faced and what supports could have been helpful when implementing Summer EBT.

[link removed]
Key findings include:
- In 2024, 13 states did not opt into the program, citing an inability to match funds and a lack of timely guidance from the Food and Nutrition Service.
- States that implemented Summer EBT had limited time to develop their plans and struggled to build data infrastructure, with 4 out of 5 states reporting out of date or incomplete student data as a challenge.
- Other challenges included insufficient federal reimbursement to develop and operate an entirely new program, lack of staffing capacity, difficulty working with other state agencies, and an inability to issue benefits in a timely manner. “To improve the program and increase uptake, the USDA could provide clearer program and data sharing guidance, more supports for data infrastructure, and greater program flexibility,” the researchers write.
[link removed]
Read the report to learn more about how federal policymakers can improve Summer EBT by reducing the barriers states face to implementing and opting into the program.


If you have questions or would like to speak with the research team, please
mailto:[email protected]?subject=
email me . I’m happy to connect you.


Sincerely,


Amy Elsbree
Associate VP for Strategic Communications and Outreach
202-261-5513

mailto:[email protected]
[email protected]

U R B A N I N S T I T U T E

[link removed]
www.urban.org




Urban Institute is a nonprofit research organization that believes in the power of evidence to improve people’s lives. Urban as an organization does not take policy positions but Urban’s independent experts are empowered to make recommendations based on their research.


You are receiving this email because External Affairs believes the featured information is relevant to your field of work. If you would like to stop receiving communications like this, please email
mailto:[email protected]?subject=Please remove me from External Affairs communications
[email protected] .









----------------------------------------
This email was sent by: Urban Institute
500 L’Enfant Plaza SW,
Washington, DC, 20024

Privacy Policy: [link removed]
Update Profile: [link removed]
Manage Subscriptions: [link removed]
Unsubscribe: [link removed]