Governor DeWine recently announced that children in Ohio qualifying for free or reduced-price meals and are participating in remote learning will soon receive additional money to purchase food through the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program. This program was made possible by the Federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
Children in grades K-12 who participate in remote learning for at least five consecutive days between Aug. 1 and Sept. 30 and are eligible for free and reduced price lunches will qualify for the funding.
ODJFS is currently working with the Ohio Department of Education and local school districts to identify all eligible children. According to OJFS, Ohio previously issued more than $250 million in P-EBT benefits to more than 850,000 students through the program in May.
As with the first round of benefits, the P-EBT benefits will be added to the Ohio Direction cards of families that receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Families that do not receive SNAP benefits will be sent P-EBT cards with the one-time benefit added. No application is needed.