Reynolds: Let Iowa oversee summer feeding program

(The Center Square) - Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is not rejecting the Iowa federal funding for a 2025 summer feeding program. She thinks Iowa can do it better and is asking for a waiver to try.

The governor said Thursday she is asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a waiver so the state can create a program better suited to the state's needs.

"Iowa’s plan is projected to feed nearly 60,000 more children at a lower cost than the SUN Bucks cash benefit, while utilizing existing infrastructure and promoting healthier options,” Reynolds said in a news release. “Last year, I invested $900,000 to expand two other USDA summer feeding programs operated by the Iowa Department of Education that provide healthy, balanced meals and snacks for school-age children statewide. Our plan for 2025 builds upon that concept to promote food security and better health for more Iowa children."

An extra 61 meal sites were added because of the additional funding, Reynolds said.

Statistics are showing that while more people are using food banks, the number of Iowa residents enrolled in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has declined by 7%, according to state officials. The eligibility expansion to 200% of the federal poverty level would serve 300,000 food-insecure children as opposed to 244,000 through the 2025 SUN Bucks or federal summer EBT program.

And the state's program emphasizes nutrition in a state that ranks 18th in childhood obesity, according to the news release.

“The complex issues of food insecurity and obesity cannot be solved with cash benefits that don't actively promote health, nutrition-dense food, or reach all Iowa children in need,” said Kelly Garcia, director of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. “In Iowa, our focus is on the comprehensive well-being of this generation of young Iowans. Our solutions to promote healthy behaviors and well-balanced, nutritious diets for children must be comprehensive and holistic."

The USDA said in an email to The Center Square that it is reviewing the waiver request just like it does with any other demonstration pilot project.

“USDA’s Summer EBT program is designed to tackle one objective: feeding kids at a time when we know hunger goes up. It is backed by a decade of demonstration projects and rigorous evaluation showing that it works to reduce child hunger and support healthier diets," the USDA said in its statement. "It also provides families with the freedom to make their own decisions on what food is best for their unique needs. Through this waiver request, the governor is asserting that the State knows better than its own families do about what their needs are. The evidence-based Summer EBT program is successfully being run in more than three dozen states, territories, and tribes helping 21 million children across the U.S. USDA stands ready to support additional states, including Iowa, in offering Summer EBT to even more kids.”

Reynolds rejected federal funding for the 2024 summer feeding program, drawing the ire of the Iowa Hunger Coalition.

Coalition members said in a statement Thursday that Reynolds' proposal wasn't exactly what they wanted.

"While we appreciate the state’s willingness to explore alternative options, we remain steadfast in our belief that using Summer EBT to provide grocery benefits directly to families to purchase food at their local grocery store is the best decision Iowa could make,” said IHC board vice chair Nicole McAlexander in a statement. “The research is clear: when parents have more money available to purchase food, it empowers them to make more nutritious choices for their family. Providing additional funds directly to families would allow them to make the food choices that best fit their children’s cultural, religious, and other dietary needs.”

IHC board chair Luke Elzinga said it is unclear if Iowa could ask for a waiver.

“What the state is proposing is not a small tweak to the Summer EBT program, it’s something entirely different," Elzinga said. "But something is better than nothing, especially when Iowa is facing a crisis of hunger and food insecurity.”