Federal government to fund a second round of P-EBT benefits for children amid pandemic

COLUMBUS — The Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services announced there will be additional funds allocated to children who qualify for free or reduced-price meals through the Pandemic-Electronic Benefit Transfer program (P-EBT).

Last Spring, ODJFS provided more than $250 million in P-EBT benefits to more than 850,000 Ohio children, the agency stated in a media release.

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The federal government just approved to issue a second round of these benefits for children enrolled in schools operating fully remotely or with a hybrid remote or in-person model.

“As families juggle the challenges of work, remote learning, and additional responsibilities, I hope that these additional benefits eliminate the stress of providing healthy, nutritious meals,” said Gov. Mike DeWine.

ODJFS is working to identify all of the eligible children within the local school districts.

“Ensuring that our most vulnerable children have access to nutritious meals remains a top priority,” said ODJFS Director Kimberly Hall.

“As families continue to navigate the challenges related to COVID, we are happy to have the P-EBT program as an additional resource to offer our children and their families.”

The P-EBT benefits will be added to the cards of families that receive SNAP benefits. If families do not have a SNAP card, then they will receive a P-EBT card.

Cox Media Group