VIRGINIA (WAVY) — United States senators from Virginia are pushing the U.S. Department of Agriculture to approve the state’s request to operate a Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program that would help food insecure children.
Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner sent a letter to the department Monday urging it to approve the state’s request to operate the program, which would ensure children who rely on free or reduced-cost meals during school could still have access to healthy foods.
“We write today in support of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s request to operate a Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program during the ongoing public health crisis. This program will allow households that contain children who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals to receive a supplemental food purchasing benefit to offset the cost of meals that would have been provided at school. Operation of this program will help ensure that children across the Commonwealth will continue to have access to healthy and nutritious foods during this health emergency,” the senators wrote in a letter to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue.
Virginia requested to be a part of the program last week.
COVID-19 has forced schools in Virginia to close for the remainder of the school year. For now, many schools and some area nonprofits have been providing bagged meals for students and families.
By including Virginia in the P-EBT program, families would be able to get a distribution equal to five school days’ worth of breakfast and lunch meals.
A copy of today’s letter can be found here.
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