Washington, DC — Representative Lucy McBath (D-GA-06) is once again leading the Georgia Democratic Congressional Delegation in demanding answers from Governor Brian Kemp after the state missed another key deadline for federal support to feed Georgia’s students during the summer months. A letter sent today urges swift action to feed the more than 1.2 million low-income children eligible for the Summer EBT program. Existing summer meal programs operated by the state of Georgia did not serve one third of counties in the state last summer.

 

“This past summer, children in Georgia again went without consistent access to summer meal programs,” the letter reads. “We share your commitment to ensuring that every child in Georgia is kept safe and healthy. Participating in Summer EBT is a simple, commonsense step that will ensure every child in our state, regardless of where they live or how much money their parents make, has access to the basic necessity of food when they are not in school… Of the roughly 2.8 million children who call Georgia home, over 40% of them are eligible for this benefit but cannot participate due to your continued decision to opt out of the program.”

 

The letter is signed by Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff and by Representatives Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), David Scott (GA-13), Sanford Bishop (GA-02), and Nikema Williams (GA-05).

 

The Governor’s office did not complete initial plans to participate in the program by August 15, 2024, nor a letter of intent by January 1, 2025. The next deadline to submit a plan to participate is February 15, 2025. Governor Kemp’s office has yet to make clear whether the State will participate this upcoming year. Rep. McBath sent a letter in July and a delegation letter in August outlining questions about the decision.

 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer EBT Program, also known as “Sun Bucks,” provides low-income families with school-aged children a $40 benefit per eligible child per month, totaling a combined $120 dollars for the summer when school is out of session. With approximately 1.2 million low-income children eligible for this program, Georgia is one of only twelve states that did not participate in 2024. With Georgia's “Happy Helpings” Summer Food Service Program absent in 59 of 159 Georgia counties last year, failing to opt into programs such as Summer EBT needlessly puts Georgia’s families at risk. 

  

The full text of the letter can be found here.