Program once rejected by Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen helps feed more than 121,000 families
LINCOLN — More than 121,000 Nebraska families ate better this summer because of a new federal food aid program that Gov. Jim Pillen initially refused.
State officials announced Wednesday that the Nebraska Departments of Health and Human Services and of Education had distributed more than $23.9 million of grocery-buying help through the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer Program for Children.
The program was created to help families get by during school vacation months, when children do not get school breakfasts and lunches. Through it, families with children who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals could get up to $40 per month per child on an EBT card, which can be used to buy food.
Shannon Grotrian, director of the HHS office of Economic Assistance, said officials were pleased with the program's success and said it had made a "significant impact" on Nebraska communities. She said the state already has opted in for the program next year.
"This program reflects our dedication to ensuring that every child has access to healthy meals, and we look forward to continuing this important work together," she said.
That wasn't the state's position last year, however. Pillen spurned the aid when it was first offered by the federal government, calling it a pandemic-era program that was no longer needed and saying he didn't "believe in welfare."
He said he preferred an older federal food program in which children had to come to a community site to get food. He said the older program ensured that community members would see whether children needed additional services.
Several groups pushed for Pillen to change his mind, with the pressure growing after Nebraska missed the initial Dec. 31 deadline to opt in to the program. State Sen. Jen Day of Omaha introduced a bill in January that would have required the state to participate in the program.
It wasn't until February that Pillen reconsidered, citing meetings he had had with two groups of young Nebraskans. The state was able to meet a Feb. 15 opt-in deadline.
On Wednesday, Day praised the program's success and said she was excited Nebraska would offer the program again next year.
"I'm thrilled that Nebraska was able to utilize the Summer EBT program to reach so many families and to fill the bellies of our school students over the long summer," she said. "These programs are important to relieve stress of parents and make sure that our kids are ready to learn when they head back to school when the summer ends."
The Summer EBT program ended up reaching many more families than expected. In February, state officials had estimated it would bring in about $18 million of federal food aid and benefit about 80,000 households.
Nebraska officials implemented the new program in what they called the "Nebraska Way," which sought to connect families with additional resources as needed. HHS officials said the state's approach helped more than 5,000 families get help with such things as utility payments, health care, child care assistance and behavioral health resources.
Officials also referred more than 2,000 families to the Summer Food Service Program for additional food resources. The Summer Food Services Program is another federal program that provides free meals and snacks to youngsters at various sites in low-income communities.
Last year, the national Food Research and Action Center reported that only about 2% of Nebraska children qualifying for free- or reduced-price school lunches participated in that program. This year, state officials said a total of 6,651 families were provided meals through the program, a 21% increase from the previous year.
