New Options to Combat Summer Hunger: What Counties Need to Know

Summer hunger impacts too many children when they lose access to nutritious school meals. But thanks to bipartisan action by Congress last year, state and local governments have two powerful new tools to fight hunger and better meet the nutritional needs of children during the summer months: “grab and go” meals for eligible children in certain rural areas and, starting in 2024, the permanent nationwide “Summer EBT” program, which will provide benefits for low-income households with children to purchase food over the summer. Join NACo and representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) for a webinar reviewing these new programs, including recent guidance and strategies for county governments to support implementation to ensure that all eligible children access this new, critical support.