MONTPELIER-The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved Vermont's Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (SEBT) plan to help feed eligible school-aged children during the summer vacation months. Vermont is among the first states to launch the new permanent SEBT program.
This benefit provides $120 per child, which families can use to purchase groceries. Some Vermont families will automatically qualify based on existing benefits, which will start being distributed on July 15. Other families who do not automatically qualify may still be eligible and will be able to apply in August.
The Department for Children and Families (DCF) and the Agency of Education (AOE) will be providing additional details on eligibility, application details, and payment distribution timelines directly to schools and families in the coming weeks.
DCF will work with the AOE to streamline the eligibility process. If a child is found eligible, a notice will be mailed to their household. Families who do not have an active EBT card will be mailed one along with instructions. Families should keep the EBT cards, as they will be used each summer for children who are eligible.
The EBT card can be used at grocery stores, farmers' markets, and select online retailers. Notification and cards will be mailed to the address on file for the program that qualified the child automatically.
For additional information, including specific eligibility criteria, visit summerebt.vermont.gov.
This Town and Village item was submitted to The Commons.