Iowa will not participate this summer in a federal program that gives $40 per month to each child in a low-income family to help with food costs while school is out, state officials have announced.

The state has notified the U.S. Department of Agriculture that it will not participate in the 2024 Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children — or Summer EBT — program, the state’s Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Education said in a Friday news release.

“Federal COVID-era cash benefit programs are not sustainable and don’t provide long-term solutions for the issues impacting children and families. An EBT card does nothing to promote nutrition at a time when childhood obesity has become an epidemic,” Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds said in the news release.

A bipartisan group of Nebraska lawmakers have urged the state to reconsider, saying Summer EBT would address the needs of vulnerable children and benefit the state economically, the Journal Star reported.

  • Furedadmins@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    45
    ·
    11 months ago

    This is so fucking stupid, not only does this feed kids the money goes to local retailers but a huge chunk also buys Iowa food products. What the fuck is wrong with that idiot

    • extant@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      20
      ·
      11 months ago

      They have never experienced poverty so they think it’s fine because if they were in that situation they would pull themselves up by their bootstraps or whatever delusional shit they come up with. To them it’s non-issue and everyone in poverty must be lazy.

        • extant@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          7
          ·
          11 months ago

          Now that you mention it they did lower the age limit for working in Iowa this year.

        • twelve20two @slrpnk.net
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          5
          ·
          11 months ago

          If these kids didn’t want to be poor, they should’ve thought twice before being born to poor parents