New Food Benefit Funding Available for Students and Families
Monday, June 15 - Informational Webinar with OSPI
Starting at the end of June, additional funds for food will be available for Washington state families with children who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals, regardless of immigration or citizenship status. This benefit, which is called Pandemic EBT (P-EBT), was included in a COVID-19 federal stimulus package to compensate for the meals students would have received if schools had stayed open. Some families will receive the benefit directly to their Basic Food EBT cards and some will need to apply.
The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is hosting a webinar Monday, June 15 from 1-2 p.m. to provide information on how community-based organizations can help their communities receive this benefit. Below is information for the webinar, as well as additional background on P-EBT.
Webinar information:
P-EBT Overview
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What is P-EBT? P-EBT is a one-time benefit that compensates for meals students would have received if schools had stayed open. The amount an eligible family receives depends on when the family became eligible for free and reduced price meals, and how many children in the household receive those meals. The maximum benefit is $399 per child.
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Who can receive P-EBT? Any family with a child who is eligible for free or reduced-price school meals – including children who go to a school where meals are free for all. Any child can receive P-EBT, regardless of citizenship or immigration status. The only requirement is a child must be eligible for free or reduced-price school meals.
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How and when can eligible families receive this benefit?
- Families who also receive Basic Food benefits will automatically receive P-EBT on their EBT cards by June 30, 2020.
- Families who do not receive Basic Food benefits will need to apply. The application will be open by June 30 and available on WashingtonConnection.org or by calling 877-501-2233.
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Learn more: More information about the benefit that was provided to school districts is available here. Translated documents are in-process and will be added to the website when they are available.
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