NEW ORLEANS — With Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry announcing the state will not accept more than $70 million in federal funding to supply free breakfasts and lunches to kids when they're out of school this summer, a local New Orleans group is making a last-ditch effort to urge reconsideration.
The newly formed New Orleans Citizens Committee issued the following statement:
"We urge the Governor of Louisiana to focus on prevention and caring for our children and reverse his decision to refuse the Federal Food Program funding that would help to provide the additional food security that our children need – for the nourishment of their bodies as well as for the overall good of our collective communities."
According to the NOCC, the child poverty rate fell to 5.2 percent following the 2021 American Rescue Plan. But that rate rose to 12.4 percent in 2022 after Congress did not renew the plan.
"It is imperative to remember that programs such as these are meant to help families that are living up to 185 percent of the poverty standard," the committee stated on Thursday. "In Louisiana, the 2024 minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. If an adult works 8 hours per day at that rate, their take-home pay – before taxes – is $58 per day or $290 gross per week."
The deadline for the state to apply for the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer Program is Thursday.
WWL Louisiana reached out to Landry the past two days and received the following statement from a Governor's Office spokesperson on Thursday afternoon:
"Summer EBT is a pandemic era-related program that costs $7 million. The pandemic is over. Louisiana already administers robust social safety net programs including SNAP, TANF, as well as the Child Nutrition Programs – including the USDA Summer Food Service Program, the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program, the Seamless Summer Option, and WIC. This year, the Summer Food Service Program will offer meals-to-go. Under these numerous programs, every child will be able to receive the meals they need throughout the summer."
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