MEMPHIS - In dozens of Facebook posts and messages to Chalkbeat, some frustrated parents said they have not received the federal aid they anticipated to help cover the cost of lunches for children enrolled in hybrid or virtual learning programs.
This school year, more than 700,000 Tennessee children qualified for Pandemic-EBT, or P-EBT aid, federal assistance to parents and caregivers to cover the cost of meals for students learning from home. In districts where every student in is eligible for free lunch, every enrolled student was eligible for the program until school cafeterias and buildings reopened in March.
Families eligible for free lunch under the National School Lunch Program were eligible for $51.15 to $122.76 a month per child depending on the child's enrollment status.
The Tennessee Department of Human Services, which administers the aid locally, coordinated with local school districts to determine family eligibility.
"When we receive parent inquiries, we work with the local school districts to determine the student's eligibility and issue benefits, if appropriate," said department spokesperson Devin Stone in an email.
He encouraged parents and caregivers wishing to ask questions or file an appeal regarding missing money to visit the state's P-EBT Parent Portal at tdhs.service-now.com/relief or call the P-EBT hotline at 833-496-0661.
While the appeal process can take up to 180 days, Stone said there is currently no backlog of appeals.
In a Facebook message posted June 9, the state Human Services Department acknowledged delays and issues.
It stated, "We appreciate the patience of every family during this delay as our department and the school district worked together to fix the issue."
The P-EBT program has been a "godsend" for some Tennessee families during the pandemic, said Signe Anderson, director of nutrition advocacy for the Tennessee Justice Center, an advocacy group that helps families receive food and health care assistance.
According to the center, food insecurity for Tennessee families with children has increased 31% during the pandemic.
"Even for us who have been in this work and know that food insecurity exists, the need has been incredible," Anderson said. "The repercussions of the pandemic are going to impact families for a long time."
Tennessee families who missed P-EBT funds for free school lunches can appeal was originally published by Chalkbeat, a nonprofit news organization covering public education. Sign up for their newsletters here: chalkbeat.org/pages/newsletters.
Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.