Evidence makes government work better. Done well, rigorous evaluation provides the evidence needed to drive smarter decisions about where to invest resources and how to design and run programs more effectively, like the Summer EBT for Children Program (SUN Bucks).
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 authorized Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children (Summer EBT) as a permanent federal food assistance entitlement program beginning in summer 2024. Summer EBT has been tested through evaluations of demonstration projects since 2011. With pending implementation of this new program, this is an appropriate time to reflect on what USDA, FNS research has learned through more than a decade of study.
Through an examination of 5 disasters in 4 states, this study develops recommendations for best practices in planning for, implementing, and operating D-SNAP.
This, being the first in a series of report summaries on the results of the SEBTC demonstration, focuses largely on the early experiences of the planners and implementers from the proof-of-concept phase.