Families of low-income school children to receive meal money

Mississippi families with children who qualify for free or reduced-price meals at school will receive deposits later this fall.

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi families with children who qualify for free or reduced-price meals at school will receive deposits later this fall.

The money comes through the U.S. government’s Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer program.

It is meant to make up for the cost of providing food to children during the summer and during the academic year when schools were closed because of the pandemic.

About 345,000 children qualify for the summer benefit of $375 per child. Around 185,000 Mississippi students will receive an additional sum if they attended a school with a predominately hybrid or virtual schedule at least one month of the 2020-21 year.