AUGUSTA — The Maine Department of Health and Human Services announced June 18 that it has distributed approximately $17 million in federal food assistance benefits to the families of roughly 70,000 Maine children under the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program.

The federally-funded P-EBT benefit, passed as part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020, provides additional nutrition support for families of children who are eligible for free or reduced school lunch, but did not have access to school-based food programs because they were learning remotely on some or all school days due to the pandemic.

Infants and children up to age 5 are eligible to receive P-EBT benefits if they are currently receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits or are otherwise eligible for the Free or Reduced Meal Program, and the school they attended for the 2020-2021 school year used either a fully remote or predominantly hybrid model. Students are eligible for those months when a majority of students in a school received more than 50% of their learning remotely.

“Ensuring that all Maine children receive the nutrition they need to learn and thrive is crucial, especially given the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said DHHS Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew, according to a news release from the department. “The federally funded P-EBT benefit will help eligible families throughout Maine afford healthy food.”

Beginning June 15, eligible families began receiving monthly benefits retroactively for the 2020-2021 school year for each eligible child in the household. A special survey was conducted to determine the learning model used in each school. Families currently enrolled in SNAP receive the benefits on their EBT cards, and other eligible families receive a separate P-EBT card.

The average benefit per month ranges from $60 to $120 per child, per month, depending on whether the school was partially or fully remote. This first issuance covers the school months of September through December 2020. Two additional benefit issuances will take place during the summer to cover the remaining months of the school year.

More information about the P-EBT program is available at maine.gov/dhhs/ofi/programs-services/food-supplement and by calling 211.