Eligible families to receive $120 per child in food aid as schools close for summer
What the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services calls 'Sun Bucks' will be given to eligible Ohio children throughout the month of June.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Director Matt Damschroder announced the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Program for Children will provide family assistance this summer, according to a media release.
'Sun Bucks' will be distributed to eligible children throughout June.
Last year, ODJFS gave $144 million in food assistance to over 1.2 million Ohio children, according to the release.
TRENDING STORIES:
City says arbitrator ignored 'simply obvious dangers' by reinstating fired police sergeant
FBI investigation blocks off Ohio neighborhood
6-year-old hit, killed by car in Harrison Township
The federal program assists eligible families with school-aged children while schools are closed for the summer.
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce administers this program as a partner of ODJFS.
'Whether it's during the school year or the summer months, Ohio is focused on student wellness to ensure children are nourished and ready to learn, grow, and achieve,' Director of Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Stephen Dackin said.
Eligible families will receive $120 for each school-age child over the next month, according to the release.
'Sun Bucks helps to reduce the lack of access to nutritious food for children over the summer and promotes the importance of nutrition and healthy meals,' Dackin said.
Families on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), cash assistance (Ohio Works First), and who are income-eligible and receiving Medicaid benefits will automatically receive the Summer EBT benefits, according to the release.
Families who receive SNAP benefits can expect the money to be loaded onto their Ohio Direction Card.
Those who received 2024 summer benefits will have 2025 benefits loaded onto their existing card, while new recipients will receive a benefit card by mail, according to the release.
The money can be used to buy food at grocery stores, farmers markets, and other authorized retailers.
Families not automatically eligible can learn more about the application process at https://sebt.ohio.gov/
[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Sen. Michael Bennet holds virtual roundtable for 'Republican Dangers to SNAP'
WESTERN SLOPE, Colo. (KREX) – Lately, there has been speculation from the federal level that there will be funds cut from SNAP benefits. On Thursday, Senator Michael Bennet held a virtual roundtable to discuss the quote 'Republican Dangers to SNAP.' Bennet states, 'I hope for the smaller cut; it would be better, you know, if we had to take one and not the other.' Communities around Colorado are on their toes regarding the outcome of possible SNAP benefit cuts. The virtual roundtable included community members around the Centennial State alongside Senator Bennet. 'As I said earlier, [SNAP] is going to be on the receiving end of this unfunded mandate,' Bennet said. Bennet says the president passed the bill, which will need 51 Senate votes to pass in the Senate before being finalized. 'I don't know what the choices that he's going to be able to assemble to get that majority vote are, but I will keep everybody on this call informed as I begin to hear what's going on,' Bennet said. WesternSlopeNow reached out to the Mesa County Department of Human Services, and the Economic Assistance Director, Melissa Schierland, sent a statement saying, 'This is pending federal legislation, and no changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) have been finalized. We are closely monitoring the situation. If the program changes, we will communicate directly with our clients to ensure they receive clear guidance and support. Our priority remains helping families meet their basic needs and access the resources they rely on.' State Senator Janice Rich of District 7 states, 'I think that it has been a successful program, and I guess I would hate to see it be cut, you know, a lot, because over the years, it has lifted over 70,000 people out of the poverty line.' State Senator Rich says it's been reported that 9.9% of people use the SNAP program in the state. Meanwhile, WesternSlopeNow reached out to the Colorado Department of Human Services about how these cuts could affect the rest of the state. A representative sent us a statement saying in part, 'As of March 2025, approximately 334,000 Colorado households and 617,000 people receive monthly benefits. In 2024, almost one million individual Coloradans received SNAP, half of whom were children, 10% of whom were older Americans, and 15% of whom were Americans with disabilities. Minimizing food insecurity has positive impacts, including increased physical and mental health.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Denver changes its mind and will keep center that aids homeless open afterall
DENVER (KDVR) — News that Denver's AID Center would be shutting down came as a shock to many who depend on services at its office in the downtown area. Signs were posted on the windows of the center saying it would close on June 15. The Assessment, Intake and Diversion Center is one of the places James LeTempt seeks all kinds of help. Sign up for the FOX31 Denver Guide weekly newsletter for events and activities '(I get) socks, underwear, hygiene (supplies), food and stuff like that,' LeTempt said. Letempt told FOX31 the center has helped stay on a good path and stay sober by helping with finding work and housing. The AID center is across from the Denver County Jail and had signs posted that said it would shut down on June 15. But late Thursday afternoon, an announcement came saying the center would stay open. 'We have made the decision to postpone the closure of the AID Center and provide limited services while we determine a sustainable, long-term vision both for the space itself and for the resources it offers,' Office of Social Equity and Innovation Chief Equity Officer Ben Sanders said. The center's website says the AID Center offers, among other things, housing assistance, substance misuse support and sober living services. Many people FOX31 spoke to said it came as a shock when they saw this sign posted a few days ago saying the center would close. It was a big hit for the homeless community, said Mat Bolten, who works with Tribe Recovery Homes, which has a space in the AID Center. 'This (AID Center) is where they come for whatever resources they need. Whether it be recovery from substance abuse, housing, whether it be something as simple as peer coaching,' Bolten said. Colorado SNAP benefits to cover up to $60 for qualifying fruits, vegetables FOX31 was told the office and space may be transformed, but it will be used to help end street homelessness. Together Denver's Amy Beck said the AID Center is badly needed. 'This serves our jail, serves our court system, our micro community and a lot of people rely on this place for services, Beck said. What kind of services will still be offered at the center is not clear. Many though are glad, it's not shutting down at least for now. A spokesperson said the AID center will still be open in its current form at least through the summer. The Office of Social Equity and Innovation said it understood the announcement of a closure caught people off guard and apologized for the confusion. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trump policy bill could bring $160 million hit to state budget
Section D subcommittee chair Rep. Bill Mercer, R-Billings, outlines the Section D portion of House Bill 2 during the second reading floor discussion on the budget for the next biennium on March 22, 2023. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan) Changes outlined in President Donald Trump's sweeping domestic policy bill impacting Medicaid expansion, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and taxes could be a $160 million hit to Montana's state budget, according to an estimate this week from the Legislative Fiscal Division. Legislative Finance Committee members met this week and, among numerous topics, heard a report from the Legislative Fiscal Division on impacts of federal legislation. A couple of Democrats described the potential reductions as 'staggering' and 'frightening.' Trump's tax cuts would reduce revenue from the taxable income of Montana by $122 million, said Josh Poulette, with the state's fiscal division. The changes could mean 'either less general fund coming in or more general fund that needs to go out,' Poulette said during the finance committee meeting. Additionally, if the federal bill was signed into law in its current form, the state would be on the hook for more than $26 million in SNAP benefits if it was to keep the program running as it is now. Legislators heard the report Tuesday, and at the meeting, the committee discussed potential dates for a special session of the Legislature to address the reductions should one be needed. Trump's bill could be signed into law soon. While speaking with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Thursday, U.S. Senator Steve Daines said lawmakers in the Senate are trying to get it on the president's desk by July 4. Daines also said the Congressional Budget Office is wrong in its forecast of revenue projections and that the bill will 'make some of the largest cuts, true spending cuts, to this runaway spending from the federal government in American history.' The biggest direct hit to the state's budget would be the reduction in taxable income. It means the state would have more than $120 million less in its general fund because the law changes deductions. SNAP would become more expensive because the state would be required to provide a match. The federal government currently pays for the cost of all SNAP benefits. 'This would be tied to the payment error rate of the state. So essentially, the feds do a backward looking error rate calculation for SNAP, and they've got historical data on that,' Poulette said during the meeting. 'Montana's error rate has hovered in that 78% range over the years. That would equate to Montana having a 15% match requirement that would come out to a cost of about $26 million additional state funds per year.' Medicaid expansion, meanwhile, could see 27,000 people dropped. Medicaid covers about 13% of all workers in the state. The Montana Legislature this session approved an extension removing the Medicaid expansion sunset date. One of the big changes the federal bill makes is increased work requirements to be eligible for benefits. Montana already has this law on the books, but it's never been enforced, and the Biden Administration did not approve the state's request to add the stipulation. Most people on Medicaid expansion already work, and in Montana, the number of people who are enrolled in the program and work is 72%. Another 7% are caretaking, 2% are retired and 10% are acutely ill or disabled and have serious barriers to employment. Poulette also said there is 'essentially a ban' on new taxes on medical providers. Those taxes are often pumped into the Medicaid program, he added. Rep. Connie Keogh, a Missoula Democrat and a member of the committee, called the impact to the budget 'frightening' during Tuesday's meeting, while Rep. Paul Tuss, D-Havre, said during the meeting the numbers were 'staggering.' Gov. Greg Gianforte's office did not respond to a request for comment. However in a recent 'Leave Us Alone' podcast episode, the Republican governor did speak on the topic. 'If you believe in limited government, the best way to produce that is to limit the amount of money government collects,' Gianforte said. 'Let's leave it in the people's pockets.'
