Families with children who qualify for free or reduced-price meals at their schools — regardless of immigration status — may notice something in the mail to help them buy groceries.
California is issuing one-time food stamps with credits of up to $365 per child to help qualifying families get through the coronavirus outbreak. The Pandemic-Electronic Benefit Transfer card, or P-EBT, from the Department of Social Services is an emergency disaster benefit that can be used to buy food and groceries, including online at Walmart and Amazon.
The first cards arrived last week for families receiving CalFresh, Medi-Cal or foster care benefits, as a supplement to their EBT card. The second phase, which starts Friday, requires low-income families to apply here.
State officials say the card is available to eligible families regardless of a student's immigration status or their parents' status. It also doesn't impact whether children are picking up grab-and-go meals from schools.
The deadline to apply is June 30. Read the full story from CalMatters here.