The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) recently announced a proposed $3 million investment aimed at supporting families in underserved counties through the Summer Food Service Program. The initiative, if approved by the Tennessee General Assembly, will provide a one-time payment of $120 to eligible children in households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits.
The announcement follows the state’s decision not to renew participation in the federal Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Program for Children. Originally introduced in 2020 as a pandemic-era initiative, the Summer EBT program provided families with funds to purchase food for school-aged children during the summer months. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the program supported approximately 21 million children across 37 states in 2024, including nearly 700,000 in Tennessee.
“Child hunger doesn’t take a summer vacation, and neither should our commitment to making sure kids have the food they need,” said Sen. Lamar. “Nearly 700,000 Tennessee children could benefit from this program, yet Gov. Lee is turning down federal dollars that would directly help families put food on the table.”
Gov. Bill Lee’s administration cited financial and administrative concerns as key reasons for opting out of the federal program. Press Secretary Elizabeth Lane Johnson stated that the program had increasingly shifted administrative costs to the states, and Tennessee viewed it as largely duplicative of existing food assistance efforts.
The decision has prompted calls from members of Congress and anti-hunger advocates to reconsider. U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (Tenn.-09) expressed concerns about food insecurity in Tennessee, referencing a 2024 Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy report that found over 40% of Tennessee families experienced food insecurity. The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) also urged Tennessee and 11 other states that declined the federal program to reconsider, emphasizing the importance of continued food support during the summer months.
To address food insecurity, the state’s proposed $3 million investment will use existing EBT cards to deliver payments to families in designated unserved or underserved counties. TDHS Commissioner Clarence H. Carter described the initiative as a fiscally responsible approach to expanding food assistance in targeted areas.
“With this innovative step, we will go even further to provide food security to Tennessee children,” said Carter. “This approach will deliver a fiscally responsible strategy to reach families in underserved communities in the summer months.”
Tennessee continues to offer multiple food assistance programs, including the Summer Food Service Program, which expanded to include rural meal sites, and the Tennessee Department of Education’s Seamless Summer Feeding Option, which provides free meals in low-income areas during school breaks. The state also maintains its commitment to SNAP, which serves over 300,000 children statewide.
Further details on the implementation of the proposed investment, including distribution timelines, are expected to be released in the coming months.
