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Governor Kim Reynolds says she’s undeterred by criticism of her proposed alternative to providing food next summer to low income households with children who qualify for a free or reduced price lunch during the school year.
The USDA will provide $120 in electronic benefits for each child in the summer. Reynolds rejected the $29 million dollars in benefits for Iowa families for this summer and next and is proposing the state use that federal money to provide food boxes to families next summer.
“I’m not surprised because, you know, they put a program together. It wasn’t utilizing theirs,” Reynolds said. “But…if it’s truly the kids and it’s truly about feeding families, and we can make those dollars go further because we’re buying wholesale instead of using retail prices, I don’t know how you say no to that.”
Last week, a USDA spokesperson said the governor is “asserting the State knows better than its own families do about what their needs are.” Reynolds said the state’s Summer Food Service Program — which she would expand — has been providing meals and snacks to children in low-income areas of the state. And Reynolds stressed that having the state rather than families buy the food is key.
“That was my biggest concern is there were no eyes on the kids. There was no nutritional value,” Reynolds said. “They were requiring me to stand up a separate system. I have one in place.”
Iowa was one of 13 states which did not accept the additional food benefits this summer.
