The American Samoa Department of Human and Social Services has received approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), for another Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) Program for families with children who missed out on school meals during the 2021 -2022 school year due to COVID-related reasons.
This second round of P-EBT benefits is for an estimated $8.8 million, for about 14,000 children, for school closures and reductions in attendance and hours from February 22nd to June 10th, 2022.
P-EBT benefits will be calculated at $8.28 per day for the duration of the school closure, that began February 22nd, and for any additional COVID-related absences (if schools are to reopen before the end of the current school year). This rate is equal to the NSLP daily reimbursement for a free breakfast, lunch, and snack.
The American Samoa Nutrition Assistance Program (ASNAP) Division of DHSS will again operate the program and issue P-EBT benefits, in the form of food stamp coupons to households of school-aged children with P-EBT qualified days.
Households are required to complete an application to receive P-EBT benefits. Households who participated in the P-EBT Program for School Year 2020-2021, do not need to reapply. Applications will only be available online.
As with the first round of the P-EBT, DHSS will use school data from the Department of Education (DOE) and all the private schools to confirm the children’s eligibility. Only parents whose names appear on the official school records may apply for their children.
DHSS will announce in the coming days and weeks, how families may apply for P-EBT benefits along with other pertinent information that includes: the address to the P-EBT online portal for applications; timeline for the issuance of benefits; retail stores to use their food coupons; and expiration dates of P-EBT benefits. DHSS will also work closely with DOE and the private schools, to ensure, if schools were to reopen before the end of the current school year, that they track COVID-related absences and virtual learning days for each enrolled student through their student information systems.
Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga said, “I am very grateful to USDA’s FNS Administrator, Cindy Long, and FNS Western Regional Administrator, Jesus Mendoza, for approving our second P-EBT State Plan to ensure that American Samoa families can continue to put food on their tables and have access to nutritious food for their children, when schools are closed or reduced attendance and hours due to the corona virus.”
He continued, “This second round of federal P-EBT assistance will also address food insecurity as we continue with our efforts in overcoming COVID-19.”
