Florida governor Ron DeSantis’s “shameful” rejection of a federal food aid program left countless families struggling to feed their children this summer, according to advocates who fear the Republican is about to turn down help for next year too.
The summer electronic benefits transfer (EBT) program, known as Sun Bucks, would have given disadvantaged families $120 per child to help pay for groceries during June, July and August while schools are out.
But DeSantis balked at spending a little more than $12m on administration costs to receive $250m of federal money, denying caregivers of the 2.1 million Florida children who receive free or reduced priced lunches during the school year the opportunity to obtain the debit cards.
Florida was one of 13 states, all Republican controlled, to reject Sun Bucks in 2024.
The argument advanced by the state, contradicted by statistics showing one in five children faces hunger, was that there was no need in Florida for such government programs sneeringly dismissed by DeSantis during his failed presidential campaign as “welfare benefits”.
Now the deadline for the 2025 program is less than two weeks away, and those who run regional and community feeding projects are worried the hard-right governor intends to again decline to participate.
DeSantis has yet to show his hand, despite unprecedented demand on food banks, and new data showing almost half the state’s 8.8m households are struggling to afford the basic cost of living.
“It’s atrocious that the governor would even think about not accepting any type of help,” said Alix Desulme, mayor of North Miami and founder of the NoMi food pantry, the first and only government-run facility of its kind in Florida.
“Since the pandemic, we’ve seen the population we serve increase over 300%, 22% of children in Florida are living in food insecurity, and people cannot afford to eat. The fact the governor embraced that, it’s very shameful.
“He should just come to the pantry on food distribution day and see the line. But they don’t want to talk about it, and the pattern is if they don’t talk about it then it doesn’t exist. If they think that people are not suffering, people are not feeling it, that it’s not hurting, then they’re not living the reality.”
The Florida House Democratic caucus, meanwhile, accused DeSantis of “an ill-advised choice to politicize food insecurity” in a statement.
DeSantis’s office did not respond to a request for comment. But his administration’s view of the summer EBT program was laid out for reporters in December by Mallory McManus, deputy chief of staff of the Florida department of children and families, as the deadline to participate in 2024 expired.
“We anticipate that our state’s full approach to serving children will continue to be successful this year without any additional federal programs that inherently always come with some federal strings attached,” she said.
Analysts say the declared “full approach”, including partnerships with community organizations and entities such as school districts to provide children with lunches, should have been supplementary to Sun Bucks, not viewed as an alternative.
They also point out that a preloaded debit card allows families freedom to purchase the groceries they want at a time and place of their choosing, and not be tied to food giveaways at restricted times and venues.
“One of the statements we continue to hear is that Florida already offers summer meal programs and therefore we’re good, we don’t really need a program such as Sun Bucks. I surely wish that were true,” said Sky Beard, Florida program director of No Kid Hungry.
“The work we and other partners do demonstrates that’s an inaccurate perception. Less than 10% of children who participate in free and reduced lunch during the school year are also able to get a summer meal.
“Federal child nutrition programs are meant to work in conjunction with others, not one over the other, to meet the needs of a whole state. There are fantastic programs and communities doing the best they can, but it’s unrealistic to think all families can stop their work day, visit a site, have their child consume that meal on site and then go back to work. And in some communities it’s unsafe for children to walk to a meal site on their own, it’s too far and too hot.”
Beard said Florida did “a great job in challenging circumstances” administering a pandemic EBT program, and that discussions had taken place with the governor’s office to try to persuade DeSantis to meet the 15 August deadline for the summer 2025 program.
“It’s still good conversation,” she said. “It allows us to feel optimistic. We see that as a move, for now, in the right direction.”
On Monday, DeSantis and his wife Casey were in Tampa, handing out more than $300,000 raised in the private sector to churches supporting in-need families and individuals, including with meals.
Political opponents say it is hypocritical for DeSantis to take credit for a smaller, private initiative while refusing to accept more than $250m of federal money to alleviate hunger.
“Florida would be required to contribute approximately $13m in state funds to cover half of the costs of administering the program, which represents a minute fraction of the state’s projected $17bn budget surplus that Governor DeSantis frequently highlights,” the Florida House Democratic statement said.
“Every Floridian deserves the freedom to be healthy, prosperous and safe, and we urge the DeSantis administration to not deny families the necessary aid in helping put food on their tables.”
