LINCOLN- Nebraska’s plan to carry out the once-controversial Summer EBT food program for low-income youths has been given the green light from the federal government. The U.S. Department. of Agriculture approved the state’s planned rollout of the Summer EBT program, which include details such as “touchpoints” that local officials designed to improve outreach, according to the Nebraska DHHS.

So-called touchpoints include providing Nebraska parents with information on types of nutritious foods to buy and follow-up surveys to identify additional needs or concerns. State officials expect the Summer EBT program to serve about 175,000 students, or 80,000 households that meet certain criteria, including an income that makes them eligible for free or reduced-price lunch during the school year.

That count is up from an earlier estimate of about 150,000 children anticipated to benefit at a state cost of about $400,000 per year to administer the federally-funded program. Each qualified child is to receive a card loaded with a total of $120 in grocery-buying benefits. The program is designed to allow access to nutritious food during summer months when school is out.

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