Good News for Montana Families

We are excited to share that at the Montana Interim Children, Families, Health and Human Services (CFHHS) Committee on September 12th, the head of the Department of Health and Human Services (DPHHS) announced that Montana would apply for Summer 2024 EBT on January 1st!

This is great and unexpected news after they declined to apply for $10 million in federal Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) funds last past summer.

hero_image===https://assets.nationbuilder.com/yourethecure/pages/29008/attachments/original/1653083802/Children%20eating%20Healthy%20Food%20from%20Mark.jpg?1653083802
hero_image_alt_text===Elementary age kids sitting at a lunch table
thumbnail===https://assets.nationbuilder.com/yourethecure/pages/29008/attachments/original/1653083808/Children%20eating%20Healthy%20Food%20from%20Mark.jpg?1653083808
thumbnail_alt_text===Elementary age kids sitting at a lunch table

No child should worry about access to food when school isn’t in session. An estimated 97,500 kids in Montana are eligible for P-EBT and when the state decided not to apply for the benefit last summer many families were impacted.

In March 2020 the federal government established the Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) program to serve as a lifeline to families who lost access to free or reduced-price school meals due to school closures or other COVID-related reasons.

P-EBT works in the following ways:

  • Families receive grocery money on a new or existing EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) card to help fill the school meals and childcare meals gap.
  • P-EBT can be spent at more than 750 grocery retailers across Montana, including many farmers markets.
  • P-EBT also provides for summer benefits allowing children access to food when school is not in session.

While we were disappointed when the state didn’t apply for this summer we are excited that they have changed course and decided to apply for summer 2024 benefits. No child in Montana should go hungry.

Share This Story

Showing 1 reaction


Please check your e-mail for a link to activate your account.