Maine school kids have been receiving their very own Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards as the result of Pandemic Era programs under the U.S. Department of Agriculture aimed at ameliorating child hunger.
Although the final benefits for 2022 were supposed to have been issued in September, at least one parent says their 9 and 12 years olds came home with fresh EBT cards this week.
According to the State website, Maine has been authorized to issue the P-EBT cards to children under the age of 6.
Eligibility for the EBT cards is determined by enrollment in the Supplement Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP or Food Stamps) or a school’s free and reduced price lunch program.
In the summer of 2022, the benefit totaled $391 for school age children and $390 for children under the age of 6. In instances where a family does not receive food stamps but is eligible for P-EBT, they received on P-EBT card for each child.
Home schooled children did not qualify for P-EBT.
Most recently, total benefits loaded to the card were calculated based on how many school days a child missed due to COVID-19.