LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Approximately 810,000 Michigan children whose access to school meals had been affected by COVID-19 are set to receive over 741 million dollars in assistance.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announcing the state has gained federal approval for a second round of Pandemic-EBT benefits. Those affected will be able to use the benefits to pay for food at stores or on line.
The food assistance benefits will go to Michigan families with students ages 5-18 who are enrolled in the MDE program for students eligible for free or reduced-price school meals.
Students in grades pre-kindergarten through 12 are eligible if they qualify for free or reduced-price lunches at school and in-person learning is not available at their school or is not available on a full-time basis.
Under the plan, families will receive an estimated $127.00 monthly for each eligible child with no in-person classes and around $77.00 monthly for those with a hybrid schedule of in-person and remote learning. Monthly benefits will vary based on the number of school days in each month.
Payments are expected to begin in late March.
Information around coronavirus outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
