SIOUX FALLS S.D. (KELO) –The deadline for South Dakota to opt into next year’s summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) program is Thursday, August 15.
The EBT program created by Congress, allows eligible low-income households to receive up to a total of $120 per child over the three summer months when school-based free and reduced-price lunch programs aren’t available.
13 states including South Dakota have opted out of the federal program for this summer. The South Dakota Governor’s Office has yet to decide if they will be applying for grant funding for next year.
What is food insecurity?
Stacey Andernacht, Marketing and Communications Director for Feeding South Dakota said that one in six children will face food insecurity in South Dakota according to statistics from 2022 there were 38,780 children facing food insecurity in South Dakota.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food insecurity is as the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, or the limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways.
Andernacht said food insecurity can have a lot of negative effects on children.
“Children who are food insecure are more likely to fall behind their classmates with scoring on tests, school grades, and they are more likely to have behavior issues due to an inability to concentrate while learning, they are also more likely to be behind their peers in terms of growth due to malnutrition,” said Andernacht.
Andernacht said the numbers are growing.
“Between Feeding America’s 2023 and 2024 report food insecurity jumped 3.5% in South Dakota in one year and that was from 2021 to 2022,” Andernacht said. “As a food bank we continue to see that trend, and year over year we see more people using our food program.”
A map detailing South Dakotas Food Insecurity in 2022 can be found here.
Representative Linda Duba speaks on South Dakota’s response to EBT grant
Democratic Rep. Linda Duba of Sioux Falls said the EBT grant would be a lifesaver for children and families across South Dakota.
“The way this program is to be administered is to say here’s $40 a month for each child who qualifies, who is currently on free and reduced lunch so we know there is a need,” Duba told KELOLAND News.
According to the USDA’s website families would receive a total of $120 over three months in funds on top of other benefits like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and WIC (Women, Infants and Children), and meals would be free from local meal sites.
Duba said the main opposition to the grant was that it would be administratively heavy and there were too many strings attached. She added their digital systems are antiquated, and that the Department of Education system and Department of Social Services system don’t communicate very well which would make offering a service like this difficult.
In a report from South Dakota News Watch last year the offices of Gov. Kristi Noem and the South Dakota Department of Education said the state is did not apply because summer meal programs are already offered and it would be too challenging to administer the program.
Duba said the data they were using to make decisions isn’t representative of South Dakota now.
“They used two-year-old data that was during the pandemic program, which was nothing like this current program, to determine what the administrative costs would be and they would not do an update to it,” said Duba.
Duba said the issue isn’t as simple as parents taking responsibility.
“There is a prevailing attitude that parents need to take responsibility for feeding their kids, they are, this is a difficult situation,” said Duba. “We hear the administration in South Dakota talking about how inflation is affecting our families and when we come forward and say here’s a great opportunity, this will help families put money in their pockets to buy the food that they need for their families, we turn around and refuse it.”
KELOLAND News reached out to Ian Fury, Director of Communications for the Governor’s Office for comment but as of now have received no response.
