The Tennessee Department of Human Services and the Tennessee Department of Education announced Monday that Tennessee families are now eligible to receive financial support for their children's nutritional needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Pandemic Electronic Benefit, or P-EBT, is a program that will provide support that includes $5.70 per child for each day the child qualifies for P-EBT up to $256.50.
Under the new program, families of children who receive free or reduced meals at school are eligible for assistance, according to a news release from Hamilton County Schools. The program is designed to replace school meals missed during March, April, and May when schools were closed due to the coronavirus.
(Read more about the Tennessee Department of Human Services)
The application period will end on June 29, and families who qualify can apply online. Parents who receive benefits from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families are automatically enrolled.
Those who need assistance with the application process are encouraged to call 1-833-496-0661.
Summer meal distribution continues in select schools across the state, and receiving these meals does not disqualify a family from the P-EBT program.