Wisconsin is issuing $3 million in benefits to more than 44,000 families and almost 62,000 children.
Under the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer Program, Congress created the program to provide food benefits for children who were forced by COVID-closures to miss the free or reduced-price meals that they would have normally received at school.
Important to note is that only children enrolled in the free or reduced-price meals program and who attend schools who participate in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program are eligible for P-EBT.
Wisconsin Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Karen Timberlake said in a Monday press release that improved attendance this year has led to changes in the program, but that she still acknowledges the impact COVID-19 is having on many children.
“COVID-19 has continued to disrupt some classrooms, keeping some students learning from home or absent, and this has caused some children to miss the school-provided meals that thousands of Wisconsin families rely on.”
She added, “I am proud that Wisconsin was one of the first seven states with an approved P-EBT plan for this school year, and one of the first states in the country to have actually started providing this critical economic and nutritional support to families.”
Families with questions about their benefits should visit the School P-EBT webpage.
