New Options to Combat Summer Hunger: What Counties Need to Know
Virtual Event | Zoom
If you are having trouble registering for the webinar or need technical assistance in accessing the Zoom platform, please email nacomeetings@naco.org.
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.
Resource
The County Role in Food Systems
County Countdown – Dec. 15, 2025
Every other week, NACo's County Countdown reviews top federal policy advocacy items with an eye towards counties and the intergovernmental partnership.
Stretching small opioid settlement allocations helps funding do more
States and localities are set to receive $56 billion in opioid settlement dollars over an 18-year period, but not every county that receives settlement funding will get enough to build out infrastructure.
County Countdown – Nov. 17, 2025
Every other week, NACo's County Countdown reviews top federal policy advocacy items with an eye towards counties and the intergovernmental partnership.
The Current State of Student Debt and Forgiveness
This webinar is designed for county HR and leadership teams seeking practical ways to support employees struggling with student debt.
Over 9 million public service workers, including full-time county employees, are eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Yet fewer than 3 percent have successfully received relief.
The issue is not eligibility. It is awareness, complexity, and follow-through.
Please join us as we speak with student debt forgiveness expert Tony Raffa, who will clarify today’s student debt landscape, including:
- What recent policy and executive actions mean for public sector employees
- How Department of Education changes affect forgiveness eligibility, timelines, and compliance
- Which student debt relief programs do employees actually qualify for today
- The current status of the SAVE program
- Common application errors that delay or derail forgiveness
- Rising delinquency and repayment restart risks
- What HR teams need to know about collections, wage garnishment notices, and employer responsibilities
Attendees will also see how a new student debt navigation tool helps employees estimate their potential forgiveness, avoid costly mistakes, and reduce annual payments by an average of $2,244.
For HR teams, this means a scalable way to offer meaningful financial support without adding administrative burden.