SNAP Awareness Week, P-EBT updates, Child care lawsuit

Thanks again for a terrific Coalition meeting and thanks to the Department of Public Health for their WIC presentation.  Our next Coalition meeting will be Tuesday 4/27 from 10-11:30 AM. Here are some follow up items.

SNAP Awareness Week!

Project Bread has created excellent materials for SNAP awareness week.  Here’s their  Social Media Tool Kit which has really great infographics and clear messages  (see sample below).  And remember, households can always apply for SNAP through DTAConnect.com or by phone through the DTA Assistance Line or Senior Assistance Office.  If you are a SNAP Outreach Provider, these materials may also be helpful in any local messaging you do about the importance of SNAP.    

 

 

 

P-EBT Updates: School Homeless Liaisons and MLRI Flier on Kids Returning to School

Update on P-EBT for homeless students: School homeless liaisons can now help homeless students get a P-EBT card! The P-EBT card can be sent to the school directly and the Liaison can then contact the student to get them the card, or the student can update their mailing address to a new address (including a shelter). Learn more at MAp-EBT.org. Please let us know if you work with any homeless families who are having trouble accessing P-EBT!

MLRI flier on food resources as kids return to school in-person: Attached is a flier with 4 talking points families should know about food resources when kids return to in-person school! While some students will have an interruption in P-EBT while they are learning in person before P-EBT kicks in for the summer, all kids are getting free school meals due to the pandemic - and many families are eligible for additional food benefits like SNAP! Check out the flier for more info, and please share broadly. 

Child Care Class Action Lawsuit and Families who Lost Subsidized Child Care:

Do you know families who lost subsidized child care because they fell behind in parent fees and still owe money?  Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) has sued the state child care agency,  Early Education and Care (EEC) , over the parent fee scale, under which parents are charged fees for subsidized child care.  Massachusetts' child care fees have been very high for years- in many cases more than double the federal benchmark for affordability.   EEC's data shows they terminated child care for thousands of children simply because their parents didn't keep up with the fees. The lawsuit alleges that EEC never followed the Legislature's requirements about how it set up its fee scale. As a result, EEC has put out a better fee scale but hasn't done anything for the parents who lost care.  

The Court recently certified a class.  That means this case is now on behalf of all families in Massachusetts who lost child care because of fees and can't get it again because they owe money.  GBLS may be able to help, but only if they know about the families.  If you know affected families, please contact the attorney working on this case, Sarah Levy, slevy@gbls.org,  know right away. (Services are free and confidential.)

DPH WIC powerpoint and materials

Attached is the powerpoint that DPH shared at the Tuesday SNAP Coalition meeting.  For more information on WIC, visit Mass.gov/WIC.