IHC Statement on Healthy Kids Iowa Pilot Program

The Iowa Hunger Coalition has issued the following statement in response to today’s announcement of the Healthy Kids Iowa Pilot Program.

“We appreciate additional resources being directed to help address food insecurity for children over the summer in Iowa. However, many questions remain as to the details of how the pilot program will function. We are concerned about the barriers families may face in accessing this new program and the additional strain it could place on feeding organizations who are already experiencing record-breaking levels of need.

One of the reasons the Summer EBT program has been so successful nationwide is it delivers benefits directly to families and ensures they can use additional summer food dollars in their communities. This has been especially important for rural communities who often struggle to easily access summer feeding sites and food pantries that can be geographically distant or only operate during typical working hours for parents.

We continue to believe that the best way to serve Iowa’s low-income kids during the summer is through evidence-based USDA summer meal programs: summer meal sites, grab ‘n go sites, and Summer EBT, or SUN Bucks.

As further details are released about the Healthy Kids Iowa Pilot Program we hope these concerns are addressed to ensure that each and every child who qualifies is served and has their individual nutritional needs met by the program.”