Published October 6, 2026
Across the country, states are wrapping up another year of Summer EBT. Since the program began in 2024, millions of families have received this benefit that helps provide children much-needed nutrition during the summer months.
In a recent FRAC webinar, representatives from the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance, Nebraska Department of Education, and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services discussed the program’s impact, implementation best practices, and opportunities for improvement. Their experiences offer practical lessons for strengthening outreach, interagency coordination, and customer service as Summer EBT continues to evolve.
Impact of Summer EBT for Families
These experts emphasized that Summer EBT provides critical support for families. The $120 benefit per eligible child for the summer months can make a meaningful difference in household food budgets and help families stretch their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits further. One panelist reported that Summer EBT helped families provide children with more fruits and vegetables and enabled more families to shop locally at farmers’ markets.
Best Practices
The panelists shared these three recommendations for effective Summer EBT operations:
- Engage school partners. Schools are often among the most trusted messengers for families. Working closely with school staff, homeless liaisons, social workers, nurses, and district administrators can strengthen outreach and make it easier to resolve problems.
- Communicate across all levels. Clear, consistent, and timely communication with schools, community organizations, families, and partner agencies can improve participation, card activation, benefit use, and problem resolution.
- Collaborate across implementing agencies. Strong partnerships between SNAP agencies and education departments are essential. States reported that regular interagency meetings, shared problem-solving, and coordinated messaging have become increasingly important as the program matures.
Looking Ahead
Summer EBT operational challenges remain, including securing reliable administrative funding, improving card delivery and activation, explaining eligibility rules, and increasing redemption rates.
To address these challenges, some states are planning to expand state self-service tools. Parent portals could allow parents and guardians to update addresses, track application status, understand delays or denials, request replacement cards, and get timely answers without calling a hotline. These tools could streamline administrative processes, reduce demand on call centers, and improve the customer experience.
The experiences of states represented in the webinar show that successful Summer EBT implementation depends on trusted school partnerships, strong interagency coordination, and clear communication with families. As states prepare for future program years, continued investment in these areas can help more eligible children’s families receive and use their benefits. Watch the FRAC webinar for the full discussion.
FRAC’s Summer EBT Resources