Months after turning down millions of dollars in federal funding for a summer food program, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced a new state-run grant program on Wednesday.
She pledged $900,000 in grants to schools and organizations to support summer food programs. The federal EBT summer program would have injected $29 million into the state, with eligible Iowans receiving $40 a month.
Jean Logan, who oversees the Community Action Agency of Siouxland, expressed deep concern over the new plan. She believes it reflects a lack of care for the welfare of families, a sentiment she says many in the nonprofit world share.
“I'm very disappointed. And I really don't feel that $900,000 is anywhere close to being able to meet the need that we have in Iowa to feed children,” Logan said. “I really was stunned.”
Thirteen states, all led by Republican governors, turned down the federal support. At the time, Reynolds shared her concerns about sustainability and the kinds of foods families might pick to eat.
“Federal COVID-era cash benefit programs are not sustainable and don’t provide long-term solutions for the issues impacting children and families. An EBT card does nothing to promote nutrition at a time when childhood obesity has become an epidemic,” she said in a statement last year.
Logan disputes the governor's viewpoint, citing a 2012 study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"If parents are given more on an EBT card, they will buy more fresh fruits and vegetables for their families," she said. "And for somebody who professes to want to have local control over everything, there is no greater control than giving parents money on an EBT card and allowing them to choose the foods they eat."
The Sioux City Community School District operates a summer food program, but Logan says the federal Summer EBT Program helps reach some of the community's most vulnerable members. A school spokesperson says the number of sites will be decreased from 29 to six due to low numbers and lack of participation.
“It's great for the families that live close to school. But we have a lot of families that don't live close to school. And that means they just don't get anything," Logan said. “I don't think that's right.”
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen changed his mind about refusing aid after meeting with young people who said they go hungry when they're not in school. Logan urged Iowans to let Iowa’s governor know her actions would have consequences.
“I'm still really upset about this because it's punitive to families, and I don't see the reason for it,” Logan said. “Because you're hurting children. And that's never acceptable.”
Reynolds stated that administering the federal Summer EBT Program would cost more than $2 million.
