Formula Grant 265KY372N1803

Federal Grant Award Summary

The Health Services Kentucky Cabinet For received a Formula Grant award of $910,773.00 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service for the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Program for Children (CFDA 10.646) effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Under this award, Kentucky administers and delivers nutrition assistance benefits to eligible low-income children during summer months when they lose access to free and reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP). The funding supports both administrative costs and benefit distribution operations necessary to provide EBT cards loaded with nutrition assistance funds that eligible children can use to purchase food from approved retailers during the summer break period.

As the designated state administering agency, the Cabinet is responsible for determining child eligibility through prior school year free or reduced-price meal status or direct summer applications, distributing benefits via EBT cards either as lump sum or monthly payments throughout the state's designated summer period, and maintaining records for three years following submission of fiscal year certification data. This represents a permanent, continual federal program rather than a competitive grant, with Kentucky receiving its annual formula allocation based on established federal methodology to support the program's objective of reducing childhood hunger and food insecurity during the summer months when school-based meal programs are unavailable.