State’s food stipend program extends to school children starting in August

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will give stipends to 4 million California school children who would have relied on free lunch programs this past school year if it wasn’t for pandemic-related school closures.

Beginning in August and September, the state will issue about $4.3 billion in funds via Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer cards to cover the days that eligible children did not receive a meal at school between the months of August 2020 through January 2021.