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Texas summer pandemic food benefits for families include a one-time benefit of $375 per eligible child

AUSTIN – Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has received approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for a third round of federal Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) food benefits for families with children who have temporarily lost access to free or reduced-price school meals due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Summer P-EBT, which covers June through August, provides a one-time benefit of $375 per eligible child and can be used in the same way as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits to pay for groceries. The administration of summer P-EBT is a joint effort by HHSC, the Texas Department of Agriculture and the Texas Education Agency.

Summer P-EBT is for families with children in grades K through 12 who are certified for free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and families with children born after Aug. 1, 2014 who receive SNAP food benefits.

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“Thank you to HHSC and USDA for working together to ensure Texas families can continue to put food on the table,” Abbott said. “This third round of pandemic food benefits will help us continue to provide access to nutritious food for both families and their children.”

“As children across the state start going back to school, we’re thankful we can provide this added benefit so Texans can provide nutritious food for their families,” said Wayne Salter, the HHS Deputy Executive Commissioner of Access and Eligibility Services.

Children in grades Kindergarten through the

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Effectiveness of Nutrition-sensitive Agri-food Interventions on Maternal and Child Health Outcomes (CRP E43029)

Undernutrition remains a highly prevalent and pervasive problem in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly among women and children. The direct or immediate causes of undernutrition include inadequate dietary intake and disease, which can lead to poor growth, micronutrient deficiencies and death. At least 45% of deaths among children younger than 5 years of age in LMICs is attributable to undernutrition.

Nutrition-sensitive agricultural policies and interventions that enhance the availability of and accessibility to nutrient-rich foods, as well as the capacity to generate income at the household, community and national levels, can be a gateway to address malnutrition. A diverse diet anchored on the consumption of traditional and local foods may not only guarantee adequate nutrient intake and safeguard biodiversity, but it can also protect against unintended, adverse health consequences of dietary transition. However, evidence of the nutritional impact of nutrition-sensitive agricultural interventions is inadequate. 

Overall objective

To provide the evidence base of stable isotope techniques to describe and assess the role of nutrition-sensitive agri-food systems in health and nutrition.

Researchers from countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe and North America participating in an IAEA Coordinated Research Project (CRP E43029) investigated the contribution of various nutrition-sensitive agri-food systems on health and nutrition in Bangladesh, Cuba, Haiti, Myanmar, Peru, Senegal and the United Republic of Tanzania.

Specific objectives

  1. To assess the role of stable isotope techniques to further the understanding of the effect of agricultural diversity on nutrition
  2. To assess the role of stable isotope techniques to further the understanding
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