HELENA, Mont. — The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services and the Montana Office of Public Instruction have announced a new electronic summer benefit transfer program for qualifying families.

The $9 million in federal funding will be available to qualifying families, with a benefit of $120 per child. The cards were mailed this week.

One card will be issued for each household and the card could finance several children in a household.

Summer EBT is available to students to receive free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP).

For a list of stores that accept Summer EBT click here Hereand for more information about the program click on Here.

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services and the Montana Office of Public Instruction sent the following:

Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) Director Charlie Brereton and Office of Public Instruction (OPI) Superintendent Elsie Arntzen today announced the launch of a new summer electronic benefit transfer (Summer EBT) program, with more than $9 million in financing that reach the qualified. families.

“The Summer EBT program helps ensure low-income children in Montana have access to healthy, nutritious food, and we appreciate the partnership with OPI to help make this program a reality for communities across our state,” Dir. Brereton said.

Families who qualify for Summer EBT will receive a benefit amount of $120 per child. Card issuance began this week by mail. Families will also receive customer education materials and information on how benefits can be used.

DPHHS officials point out that summer EBT is a new program for Montana. A list of stores that accept Summer EBT is available online at the OPI website. The retail list will continue to be updated.

One card will be issued for each household. The card may contain benefits for several children in the household.

“The Summer EBT program is focused on supporting our Montana students,” said Superintendent Arntzen. “Montana is leading the nation with our innovative Direct Certification Program, which creates a more efficient process for families. I am grateful for the strong partnership between my agency and DPHHS.”

Congress authorized Summer EBT as a permanent program on December 23, 2022, and Montana was among the first states to formally announce their intention to participate.

The program provides food purchase benefits to low-income families with school-age children during the summer months of June, July and August when schools are closed for summer vacation. In this first year of the program, benefits are issued after the summer with federal approval.

Benefits paid to families are 100% federally funded.

Use will be subject to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program rules and benefits may only be used for in-person purchases of eligible items at participating retailers.

Summer EBT is for students who are eligible to receive free and reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) or direct certificates.

Summer EBT is an evidence-based policy; Research shows that offering families summer food benefits reduces children’s hunger, supports healthier diets and prevents negative health effects.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been testing Summer EBT as a demonstration project in select states for several years. Research has shown that the program has reduced the number of very food insecure children by about a third.

DPHHS and OPI share responsibilities for summer EBT implementation, with DPHHS serving as lead agency for federal purposes. OPI will manage the application process, validate eligibility and manage client communications.

DPHHS will issue the EBT cards, manage card usage, investigate customer fraud complaints, and oversee budget and program reporting to USDA.

For more information about the Summer EBT program, visit Summer EBT (mt.gov). Interested Montanans can also call the program’s helpline at (406) 444-0044 or email [email protected].