New Jersey will once again provide summer grocery benefits to more than 680,000 children this year as part of an effort to combat food insecurity when schools are closed, Governor Mikie Sherrill announced today.

The Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer program, known as Summer EBT, will provide eligible families with a one-time payment of $120 per child to purchase food at grocery stores, farmers markets and other authorized retailers during the summer months.

State officials said 681,000 children are expected to receive the benefits this summer.

“We are continuing our commitment to fighting food insecurity by providing Summer EBT benefits to more than 681,000 New Jersey children, helping families put food on the table even while school is out of session,” Sherrill said in a statement. “We will continue doing everything we can to ensure no child in New Jersey goes hungry simply because their family cannot navigate additional red tape.”

The announcement comes as the administration warns that changes at the federal level could make it more difficult for families to maintain eligibility for nutrition assistance programs that automatically qualify children for free or reduced-price school meals.

Sherrill also warned that that new administrative requirements for programs such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which was included in H.R. 1, the federal budget and policy package signed into law last summer by President Donald Trump, could reduce enrollment and jeopardize access to school meal benefits.

Under New Jersey’s direct certification system, children enrolled in certain government assistance programs are automatically enrolled in free and reduced-price school meal programs without needing to submit additional paperwork.

According to the state, 689,149 students are currently eligible for free and reduced-price school meals, including 456,705 who are enrolled through direct certification.

Administration officials said that if fewer families remain enrolled in Medicaid or SNAP because of new federal requirements, hundreds of thousands of children could lose automatic eligibility for school meal benefits and related assistance programs.

The state said families may continue applying for school meals and Summer EBT benefits throughout the summer by contacting their local school district. Officials also encouraged families to check their eligibility online.

New Jersey first joined the federally funded Summer EBT program in 2024 under former Governor Phil Murphy as part of a broader effort to address childhood hunger outside of the regular school year.