Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is once again rejecting a federal summer food assistance program for kids that would provide $120 per child for groceries to food-insecure families next summer.
She announced Thursday that she is instead seeking funding from the federal government to provide three monthly boxes of food during the summer to families making up to 200% of the federal poverty level. The boxes would be picked up at distribution sites or delivered to families lacking transportation.
Reynolds said her proposal would feed more kids at a lower cost than the Summer EBT/SUN Bucks program, while promoting healthier foods.
"Last year, I invested $900,000 to expand two other USDA summer feeding programs operated by the Iowa Department of Education that provide healthy, balanced meals and snacks for school-age children statewide,” she said in a statement. "Our plan for 2025 builds upon that concept to promote food security and better health for more Iowa children.”
State officials estimate the program would reach about 300,000 children. Reynolds’ office did not immediately respond to questions Thursday about how much it would cost.
The complex issues of food insecurity and obesity cannot be solved with cash benefits that don’t actively promote health, nutrition-dense food or reach all Iowa children in need.Kelly Garcia, Director of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
Summer EBT, which most states chose to participate in this year, provides money for groceries to families with an income up to 185% of the federal poverty level. This summer, it would have sent an estimated $29 million in federal funding to more than 240,000 kids in Iowa for food assistance. The state of Iowa would have paid about $2.2 million to administer the program.
Last year, when Reynolds decided to reject the program for this summer, she said COVID-era cash benefit programs are not sustainable and don’t promote nutrition "when childhood obesity has become an epidemic.”
The state’s news release Thursday noted Iowa is ranked 18th highest in the nation for childhood obesity.
"The complex issues of food insecurity and obesity cannot be solved with cash benefits that don’t actively promote health, nutrition-dense food or reach all Iowa children in need,” said Kelly Garcia, director of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. "In Iowa, our focus is on the comprehensive well-being of this generation of young Iowans. Our solutions to promote healthy behaviors and well-balanced, nutritious diets for children must be comprehensive and holistic.”
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Summer EBT is an evidence-based program that is helping 21 million children in dozens of states, territories and tribes.
"It is backed by a decade of demonstration projects and rigorous evaluation showing that it works to reduce child hunger and support healthier diets," the USDA spokesperson said in an email. "It also provides families with the freedom to make their own decisions on what food is best for their unique needs. Through this waiver request, the governor is asserting that the state knows better than its own families do about what their needs are."
The spokesperson said the USDA stands ready to offer Summer EBT in more states, including Iowa.
Iowa Hunger Coalition Chair Luke Elzinga said while Reynolds' decision is not exactly what he hoped for, he is grateful state leaders are recognizing the high level of food insecurity.
"We appreciate the state’s willingness to explore alternative options, but we also remain steadfast in our belief that using Summer EBT to provide grocery benefits directly to families is the best decision for Iowa,” Elzinga said. "The research is clear that when parents have more money available to purchase groceries, it allows them to make more nutritious choices for their children.”
He said grocery money also allows parents to make food choices that best fit their family’s dietary needs.
Elzinga said everyone who contacted state officials directly or signed a petition urging Reynolds to join Summer EBT should take pride in this decision.
But he said it has been a hard summer with food pantries facing a very high level of need.
"We’ve had food banks, food pantries and other emergency feeding organizations across the state facing record-breaking levels of need and just huge amounts of people turning to them for assistance,” Elzinga said.
He said those records will likely keep being broken into the fall and winter, with the holiday season typically being the busiest time for food pantries.
It’s not complicated: drop the politics and feed hungry kids.Democratic Rep. Sami Scheetz of Cedar Rapids
When Reynolds rejected the $29 million in federal food aid for this summer, she put $900,000 into expanding summer meal sites that provide free meals to children. That funding led to the creation of 61 new meal sites across the state. Some existing sites closed, so there was a net increase of 21 meal sites this summer, from a total of 512 to 533.
Reynolds’ announcement indicated those sites would be involved in her new plan for monthly food boxes.
Elzinga also said it’s not clear if the USDA has the authority to grant the waiver because Reynolds’ proposal is not just a small change to the Summer EBT program, it’s something completely different.
Rep. Sami Scheetz, D-Cedar Rapids, said it’s "tragic” that thousands of Iowa kids went without food assistance this summer because of Reynolds’ decision.
"While we strongly disagree with the governor’s decision to yet again reject federal funding to feed 245,000 Iowa kids next summer, we will try to work with the governor to make sure no kid goes hungry,” Scheetz said. "It’s not complicated: drop the politics and feed hungry kids.”
This story was updated to include comment from the USDA.
