On September 27, 2023, the New Mexico Human Services Department announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture had allocated over $30 million in extra food assistance to feed more than 252,000 children during the off-school summer months. This initiative was carried out by the New Mexico Human Services Department (HSD) in collaboration with the New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) through the final round of Pandemic-Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT), according to a press release.
"To qualify, New Mexico students must have attended school as of the last date of the 2022-2023 school year and be approved for Free or Reduced Priced meals for Breakfast/Lunch through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or the child may have attended a school that received free meals through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)," stated the New Mexico Human Services Department.
HSD first identifies students eligible for free or reduced-price meals in collaboration with the Public Education Department (PED). Once this data is obtained, HSD proceeds to distribute food benefits onto P-EBT cards, which are then either mailed to eligible households or loaded onto existing Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards. These benefits consist of a one-time payment of $120 per child, designed to help cover the expenses usually associated with school-provided meals. The P-EBT card functions similarly to a standard EBT card for SNAP benefits, allowing eligible families to purchase approved food items at authorized retailers.
"We are grateful for the partnership across agencies to make sure that our students and their families get the most out of this federal support. We all recognize how crucial food access is and are glad to be a part of making sure our families have what they need to succeed," said Secretary of Public Education Arsenio Romero, according to a press release.
Distribution of funds and the issuance of new cards commenced on September 12, 2023, with the final batch of cards dispatched by September 25, 2023. HSD recommends keeping these cards for future use in the upcoming summer EBT program, set to replace P-EBT next year, according to a press release.
"As we wrap up the last issuance of federal pandemic-era food assistance for children, HSD is reinforcing our commitment to ensure low-income families in New Mexico receive the resources they need to thrive," said Kathy Slater-Huff, HSD Acting Deputy Secretary, according to a press release.