Massachusetts and USDA launch permanent summer nutrition effort; federal Summer EBT to deliver $120 per eligible child

Fales Elementary, Westborough — State and federal officials on a July afternoon announced the statewide rollout of a permanent summer child nutrition program that leaders said will expand access to food for low‑income families across Massachusetts.

Governor Healy said the program builds on the administration’s move to make universal free school meals permanent and highlighted recent gains in school meal participation, saying, "in just a year alone, more than 12,000,000 lunches were served, more than 6,000,000 breakfasts were served, and 61,000 students more were served every day." She told the crowd the new federal summer assistance "is a permanent summer child nutrition program that will bring over $70,000,000 to Massachusetts." She said initial funds were due to go out next week and directed residents to mass.gov/summer EBT and the DTA Connect webpage to apply; she said the application window runs through Sept. 7.

Cindy Long, the administrator identified in remarks as representing USDA Food and Nutrition Service, described the Sun Meals suite of tools and the new Summer EBT product the speakers referred to as "Sunbucks." "It is a summer EBT program that will provide families of kids who get those free and reduced price meals during the school year with a $120 per child on a grocery card," Long said, and she highlighted evidence showing the approach reduced severe hunger by "one third" in testing.

Congressman Jim McGovern, who has led federal efforts on nutrition policy, said the federal program will serve children nationally as well as locally, noting it will reach "over 21,000,000 kids across the country" and called the Massachusetts rollout "an incredible program" that should raise awareness among families who may not be auto‑enrolled.

Local superintendent Lisonbee Borchers, who said she was on the job 11 days, thanked the USDA, the state Executive Office, Project Bread and Westborough staff who helped secure local grant funding and run the meals program. Borchers named local staff who wrote the grant and prepared meals and underscored that Westborough’s summer programs include enrichment, garden activities and on‑site meal service tied to student learning.

Officials asked the public to help spread word about eligibility and signups. The event closed with leaders offering to take questions; Governor Healy asked attendees to "hydrate" and thanked hosts for the invitation.

Next steps: officials said initial payments from the federal Summer EBT allocation would begin the week immediately after the announcement and that families should apply via mass.gov/summer EBT or the DTA Connect portal before the Sept. 7 deadline.