Resource Library

Launched in 2011 as a demonstration project and made permanent in 2023, Summer EBT provides families with $120 per eligible child to buy groceries during the summer. Despite Summer EBT’s many benefits, some states are choosing to reject the federal funding available through the program and instead implement state-funded programs that reach significantly fewer children. Summer EBT is a proven, cost-effective way to reduce summer hunger and improve nutrition while strengthening local economies.

Summer EBT: Strategies for Communications and Outreach, a new case study featuring insights from the Arizona Food Bank Network, Greater Chicago Food Depository, and Hunger Solutions New York, outlines state requirements for Summer EBT outreach and communication and highlights best practices. 

In Improving Summer EBT for Indian Tribal Organizations, you’ll find recommended program changes, including statutory changes and regulatory changes, that will allow more Tribes to distribute benefits and reduce summertime food insecurity. 

Created in collaboration by FRAC and the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative, Summer EBT in Indian Country: A Report on Tribal Success, Barriers, and Best Practices serves as an introduction to Summer EBT. Highlighting barriers identified by tribes, this case study also offers lessons learned and best practices from Chickasaw Nation. It underlines the profound positive impact of this program, highlights tribal success, and identifies ways to improve the process for future tribal participation in the program.

By creating a strong, intuitive Summer EBT application form, states can maximize accessibility and lessen the administrative burden of the program by creating a lasting database. This new case study, Summer EBT: Application and Database Best Practices From 2024, aims to present the best practices for program applications and databases, and different pathways for states to fulfill 2025 Summer EBT requirements.

The Summer EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) Program provides families with approximately $40 a month per eligible child to help with food costs during the summer months. This case study highlights how six states determined their administrative funding levels for the first year of Summer EBT implementation, as well as considerations for those states that have not yet participated.

Find best practices and lessons learned from the first year of Summer EBT implementation in FRAC’s Summer EBT Outreach and Advocacy Toolkit. 

FRAC’s Hunger Doesn’t Take a Vacation: Summer Nutrition Status Report reveals a drop in the number of children receiving nutrition over the summer following the loss of pandemic-era waivers. Download the report to learn more. 

Is your state participating in Summer EBT this summer? Find out by using FRAC’s new map of state Summer EBT participation.

Starting in Summer 2024, eligible families will receive money on an EBT card to purchase groceries at approved stores during the summer months through the new, permanent, federal Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer EBT) Program. 37 states, Washington DC, all US territories, and 3 Tribes will be participating in 2024. Discover the research behind Summer EBT in FRAC’s new fact sheet. 

This summer, 37 states, the District of Columbia, all five U.S. territories, and three Tribes, will participate in the new nationwide Summer EBT Program. Families will receive $120 in federally funded grocery benefits on an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card for each school-age child who is eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. By implementing the program, these states, territories, and Tribes, are helping to reduce summer hunger, so children can return to school well-nourished and ready to learn. Dive into the data on Summer EBT in FRAC’s new 2024 Program Impact fact sheet. 

FRAC and the Southern Economic Advancement Project teamed up to provide this guide for advocates to the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer EBT) Program. Find key information on implementation, including flexibilities and aid that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing to states to ease the administration burden. 

The permanent, nationwide Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer EBT) Program is set to begin in summer 2024. On December 29, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released their Interim Final Rule (IFR) outlining program requirements and processes. Check out FRAC’s new resource for an in-depth summary of the IFR. 

The Summer EBT Program would reduce summer hunger in your state or territory. Learn more about the benefits of Summer EBT to your state or territory in our new Summer EBT State Fact Sheets. 

There are two pathways for children to be deemed eligible to receive benefits through the Summer EBT Program, which is set to begin in summer 2024. The first is through automatic issuance, and the second is via a Summer EBT application. This resource outlines these pathways as well as frequently asked questions.