More than a million low-income North Carolina children and their families will receive help with food assistance during the summer months. It's part of additional COVID relief funding from the federal government.

North Carolina has been approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to continue a program known as  Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer or P-EBT.  It helps families with eligible children whose access to free or reduced-price meals at school or other food assistance has been impacted by COVID-19.

They will receive a one-time payment of $375 to cover the summer period from June through August. The money will be uploaded to a family’s current P-EBT or Food and Nutrition Services card.

The program is administered by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services in partnership with the state Department of Public Instruction.

State officials say having nutritious meals available year-round is critical to young children’s development and well-being and the extension will help fill in the gap for struggling families when school is out. 

NCDHHS says the extension will provide approximately $450 million in food assistance to an estimated 1.2 million children and families in North Carolina this summer.

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