Every child from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade who was enrolled in the free-and-reduced-price school meals program as of March 16, 2020, will receive a one-time food benefit of $307.80 through the Families First Corona Virus Act.
If your family has received Food Assistance/SNAP benefits since April, then $307.80 will be loaded on your card Wednesday, July 15 for each eligible child.
For families not on food assistance, you will receive a special card in the mail between July 14-21 at the mailing address your school district has on file. Each eligible child gets a separate card, along with instructions for activating the card.
These cards will be mailed in a white envelope with an Austin, Texas, return address. Watch for this important envelope.
You can use your child’s card to purchase eligible food items anywhere that Food Assistance/SNAP/EBT cards are accepted. Eligible food items include dairy products, eggs, meat, cereal, rice, pasta, bread, fresh, frozen, canned or dried vegetables and fruit, any ingredients you use for cooking, baby formula, diabetic foods, garden seeds, plants for growing food at home and ice.
You cannot buy already prepared/hot food, pet food or non-food items. For more details, visit the Iowa Department of Human Services website.
Ann Cochran is the health navigation coordinator in the Dallas County Public Health Department.
