New York opts into federal program to tackle child food insecurity

Low-income families in New York may get $40 a month for each school-aged child next summer, as part of a program to combat child hunger when class is out of session.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday that the state opting into the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program for Children will help roughly 2 million New York youngsters. The state did not say how many Long Island children are expected to be enrolled in the program.

More than $200 million in federal money will be allocated to New York, Hochul said. The state will cover half of the administrative cost to run the program, which was created by Congress in 2022.

“Our kids need healthy, nutritious food to grow and thrive,” Hochul said in a statement Thursday. “This new federal funding will be a critical lifeline for families struggling to make ends meet.”

Although many students are fed at school when in session, some children struggle to get meals such as breakfast during summer break, according to experts.

Starting next summer, though, some families in New York may get a bit more help from the program, which is also called Summer EBT. The money will be distributed on an EBT card. The state said more details about the program will be released in the coming months.

Still, the USDA said the program is an addition — and not a replacement — to its summer nutrition program, such as group meals service or home delivery.

New York joinsthe growing list of states that have opted into the program in 2024, the USDA said in an updated statement Wednesday.

More than 29 million children in more than 30 states, territories and tribal nations are expected to benefit from the program when it is rolled out across the country.

By Tiffany Cusaac-Smith

tiffany.cusaac-smith@newsday.com@T_Cusaac

Education: Howard University 

Tiffany Cusaac-Smith came to Newsday in 2023 after being a race and history reporter at USA TODAY, where she wrote enterprise and spot articles examining how the past shapes the present. Previously, she worked as the race and justice reporter at the USA TODAY Network of New York, covering issues such as criminal justice reform, housing, environmental justice, health care and politics. At The Journal News/lohud.com in Westchester County, she covered Yonkers, the state's third-largest city. She also worked at The Associated Press in Atlanta.

Honors and Awards: Criminal justice reporting fellowship with the National Press Foundation;  New York News Publishers Association award for distinguished investigative reporting;  Contributed reporting for Best of Gannett honor; Member of Table Stakes, a program funded by the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund and managed by the American Press Institute to transform local news.