Iowa proposes summer grocery boxes as alternative to direct cash payments for low-income families

Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa is proposing an alternative program to address child hunger during next year’s summer break. The state says grocery boxes in the summer months can leverage existing community-driven infrastructure and prioritize nutrition. But critics say it takes resources and agency away from low-income families, who could benefit from $120 per kid for grocery purchases in a program mostly funded by the federal government. Iowa and other states opted out of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s summer EBT program in 2024. Next year, Iowa wants federal funding to offer grocery boxes each of the three summer months, which low-income families can pick up or those with transportation challenges can get delivered.