President Donald Trump’s administration has granted a waiver for Iowa to opt out of the federal government’s summer feeding program and launch its own program to serve low-income kids during the summer months.
Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, announced May 7 that Iowa has received federal approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to launch a pilot program called “Healthy Kids Iowa” that will allow families to access $40 worth of food per child each month during June, July and August.
Families may choose from a selection of foods offered at distribution sites around the state, which will be chosen in partnership with Feeding America food banks.
“Our goal has always been to ensure all Iowa children have access to nutritious, balanced and wholesome food, while promoting healthy eating habits,” Reynolds said in a statement. “I’m grateful to the USDA and Secretary (Brooke) Rollins for partnering with the state of Iowa and placing their trust in our statewide network of meal providers. Together, we’re building on the strong foundation already in place to better meet the unique needs of Iowa’s children and families.”
Who is eligible for the ‘Healthy Kids Iowa’ summer food program?
The program will run during June, July and August. Families are eligible if they earn below 185% of the federal poverty level, or about $59,500 for a family of four.
Families must have children ages 4 to 18 to be eligible.
A news release announcing the program says families “will be allowed to choose from a selection of nutritionally balanced foods” that include fruits, vegetables, dairy, whole grains and proteins.
Annette Hacker, vice president of strategy and communications for the Food Bank of Iowa said they and their fellow Feeding America food banks are still working through the details of the program with HHS.
“We appreciate the state’s recognition of the high level of need for food access right now,” Hacker said. “Healthy Kids Iowa will help to fill the meal gap for hardworking families, who despite their best efforts are challenged to feed growing kids home from school during the summer.”
Gov. Kim Reynolds says program will ‘make Iowa healthy again’
Reynolds and her administration say Iowa’s program will provide kids access to healthier foods than the regular Summer EBT program.
“Healthy kids means a healthy Iowa, so let’s make Iowa healthy again!” she said in a video posted on social media, adopting the slogan of U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Kelly Garcia, director of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, also touted the program’s emphasis on nutrition in a statement.
“Healthier children are more likely to lead more successful lives,” she said. “We must forge a new path and lead the way on promoting healthier lifestyles in our children, so they choose fruits and vegetables over unhealthy options. We are excited to partner with the regional food banks across our state to meet the unique needs of their communities.”
Separately, Iowa Republicans are considering legislation that would restrict the types of foods Iowans could buy using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) dollars, which they said would incentivize better eating habits. Those restrictions would also require federal approval.
Waiver from Trump administration comes after Kim Reynolds’ battle with Biden administration
Reynolds for two years declined to participate in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer EBT program while Democratic President Joe Biden was in office.
Instead, she asked the federal government for a waiver so Iowa could use the federal funds to provide boxes of foods to families at pickup sites around the state. The Biden administration refused Reynolds’ request.
But Rollins praised Reynolds’ approach in a statement.
“With USDA’s full support, Iowa is launching a new program to provide healthy foods to low-income, school-aged children during this summer break,” Rollins said. “State-led innovation across all of USDA’s nutrition programs is simply the right thing to do, and we are encouraging governors across the entire country to explore creative ways to provide food for those in need while also doing right by the American taxpayer.”
The Summer EBT program, known as Sun Bucks, provides families with electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards worth $120 per child that can be used to purchase groceries during the summer.
Reynolds said Iowa received $12 million in USDA meal reimbursements for summer nutrition programs in 2023-24. Last year, she spent $900,000 to launch a competitive grant program to expand the number of sites around the state that provide summer meals to kids. She said that funding resulted in 61 new meal sites for a total of more than 500 around Iowa.
Anti-hunger advocates have said Summer EBT is a proven way to help families afford food for their kids during the summer months because families can use their EBT cards at grocery stores and don’t have to travel to get food from specific sites.
In a statement, board members of the Iowa Hunger Coalition said they appreciate the additional resources to address food insecurity in Iowa, but they raised concerns that families could face barriers in accessing the new program and that it could strain food banks and other providers that are already experiencing record need.
“One of the reasons the Summer EBT program has been so successful nationwide is it delivers benefits directly to families and ensures they can use additional summer food dollars in their communities,” the board members said. “This has been especially important for rural communities who often struggle to easily access summer feeding sites and food pantries that can be geographically distant or only operate during typical working hours for parents.”
“We continue to believe that the best way to serve Iowa’s low-income kids during the summer is through evidence-based USDA summer meal programs: summer meal sites, grab ‘n go sites, and Summer EBT, or SUN Bucks,” the group added.
(This story has been updated to provide additional information.)
Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on X at @sgrubermiller.
This story was updated to add a gallery.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Reynolds receives USDA waiver to launch new summer feeding program, ‘Healthy Kids Iowa’
Reporting by Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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