Official Site of The State of New Jersey

Summer EBT is a new-to-NJ child nutrition program intended to reduce hunger and food insecurity for children who lose access to free school meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) during the summer when school is not in session. Starting in the summer of 2024, NJ will be sending an EBT card to every eligible child to purchase food at participating retailers. 

For more information, visit the NJ Summer EBT website here. 

Eligibility: 

If your child is enrolled in the Federal Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch program at a National School Lunch Program-participating school, they will automatically be enrolled in Summer EBT. Your child is eligible to receive a Summer EBT card if your child’s school participates in the National School Lunch Program AND: 

• Your child receives free meals at school AND your household income is at or under 185% of the 2023-2024 federal poverty level (see table below); or 
• You applied for School Meals/Summer EBT through your school district AND your household income is at or under 185% of the 2023-2024 federal poverty level (see table below); or 
• Your household participates in SNAP or TANF; or 
• Your child is homeless, a migrant, or in foster care; or 
• Your child attends a Head Start program. 

If your child’s school does not participate in the National School Lunch Program, your child may still be eligible for Summer EBT if: 

• Your household participates in SNAP or TANF; or 
• Your child is experiencing homelessness, a migrant, or in foster care. 

 

The Food Security Access Fund launched in 2023 to strengthen the food security system in New Jersey with a unique approach: bring together private philanthropies and New Jersey state agencies via a partnership with the New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate (OFSA) to help nonprofit organizations build capacity and secure more pre-existing public grant opportunities. Funding from the Food Security Access Fund supports these organizations in two ways:

1. Grant Navigator Support: Human capital support to identify and unlock relevant grants to support their work in building food security.

2. Capacity Building Support: Financial assistance for organizations and coalitions to expand the research, data and evaluation projects that identify new paths to end food insecurity.

Learn more about the inaugural cohort of grantees on the Tepper Foundation site.

This first-of-its-kind initiative in New Jersey is funded by The Tepper Foundation, the Community Foundation of New Jersey, Novo Nordisk, The Taub Foundation, the Grotta Fund for Older Adults, The Campbell’s Foundation, The O’Toole Family Foundation, and The Schumann Fund for NJ. The invitation for applications is currently closed. 

 

Led by the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the New Jersey Food Security Initiative (NJFSI) is a three-year cross-sector, collaborative, community-centered effort to increase food security and good nutrition, and advance health equity, in New Jersey. NJFSI aims to increase food security, equitable access to healthier food options, and community purchasing power in New Jersey through enhanced infrastructure, coordination across systems, advocacy, and leveraging of federal, state, and local resources, assets, and opportunities. NJFSI seeks to support and uplift existing initiatives and collaborations across New Jersey by providing additional funding opportunities, capacity-building, resources, and technical assistance.

Visit the NJFSI site to learn more for additional information.