Florida urged to ask for federal food aid to feed 2.1 million school children

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been urged by more than
80 advocacy groups to request the federal food aid to feed 2.1 million children
in low-income homes in the state.

The governor is yet to comment on the aid’s status. The
state of Florida has been eligible to apply for the aid of up to $820 million for
four months now but it is not yet clear if state officials are seeking the
money.

The funds have no mandates attached to them and also do not
require matching funds. At least 42 other states, including those led by
Republican governors, have tapped into the extra money, according to a report
by Tampa Bay Times.

The money that comes through the Pandemic Electronic Benefit
Transfer program is intended to alleviate a problem the pandemic caused last
year: How do kids get their free and reduced lunches when schools are closed?

The federal government came up with a solution: deposit
money onto electronic cards for parents to buy food for their children.

Christina Pusha, a spokesperson for the Governor, said in a
statement that as Florida schools have resumed “normal operations” so now every
student can “receive high-quality nutrition directly from our schools”, Tampa
Bay Times reported.

Pushaw stated that the purpose of the said program was to
provide aid for children who “temporarily lost access to free and reduced-price
school meals due to pandemic-related closures and virtual learning.”

Florida had participated in the program last year but held
out when it was renewed again this year.

”Schools are not remote in Florida, and children receive
nutrition directly from schools,” she said.

According to the federal guidance that came out in April, the
extra $6.82 per day is available to “all children who were eligible to receive
free or reduced-price meals during the current school year.”

So, the federal money is available for the kids regardless
of whether they have returned to in-person classes.