INDIANAPOLIS -- Many Indiana families will have an easier time feeding their children this summer.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced an extension of the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program.

The program was first launched in March 2020 to reach children who qualify for free and reduced-price meals at school but weren't able to attend in person.

Kate Howe, executive director of the Indy Hunger Network, said the extension is a game changer during months when it's hard to reach kids.

She noted summer meals typically are provided through schools, community centers and other organizations.

"But there are some serious limitations to that program in the way that the money can be spent," Howe explained. "And so P-EBT will allow families to buy food for their kids to eat at home rather than having to go to a meal site to get a meal in the summertime when school's out."

Families will receive close to $7 per child per weekday, or about $375 per month. Nearly 650,000 Indiana children are expected to qualify, and benefits to the state will total more than $240 million, according to the USDA. Those numbers include benefits for children from birth to age six who are not in school.

Howe pointed out people may not realize the free and reduced-price school meal program is one of the biggest food programs in the country.

"The pandemic has really highlighted how many kids get fed at school and how important those free and reduced-price lunch and school breakfast are for feeding kids," Howe remarked.

The P-EBT program is partially based on the summer EBT program for children, which the USDA has piloted around the country since 2011. Howe hopes the agency extends the program once the pandemic ends.

LOS ANGELES -- Hunger-fighting advocacy groups are speaking out in California, drawing attention to the continuing problem of food insecurity, and also to recent progress on that front.

This month and next, families on the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program will get a fruit and vegetable benefit of $35, which more than three times what they normally receive. The increase was part of the Biden administration's American Rescue Plan.

Frank Tamborello, director of Hunger Action Los Angeles, noted Los Angeles County has recently stepped up to the plate in a big way.

"We had a victory with the County Board of Supervisors, who have agreed to provide $2 million to help support the Market Match program, and other programs like it, that provide bonus dollars to people using CalFresh food assistance," Tamborello explained.

A survey from the U.S. Census Bureau in late June and early July found 2.7 million Californians reported not having enough to eat. Market Match gives people who rely on CalFresh a dollar-for-dollar match, good at hundreds of farmers' markets and other farm-direct sites across the state.

A number of farmers' markets that were forced to shut down during the pandemic are now back in business.

Stacey Whitney, manager of the Altadena Farmer's market, which takes place in a newly reopened county park, applauded the added support.

"For our mental wellness and our physical wellness as it relates to fresh food, it's just great to see everyone back at the market," Whitney remarked.

Advocates urged Congress to make permanent the expanded federal Child Tax Credit, which gives parents between $250 and $300 per child each month. It is currently slated to expire in December.

DENVER-During the COVID health emergency, the federal government made school meals available for free to all students, regardless of their financial situation at home. Children's advocates now are urging Congress to make that change permanent in its recovery legislation.

Ashley Wheeland, director of public policy with Hunger Free Colorado, said the move would reduce child hunger and food insecurity, and could put an end to lunch-line shaming when families fall behind on bills and reduce the stigma that kids who qualify for free or reduced price meals experience.

"They are the students that need help, they are the 'poor kids,'" said Wheeland. "They take that with them in their stress every day. Actually, as children get older, we see less and less of them participating in this programming because of that shame and that stigma; they don't want to be 'that kid.'"

Some school cashiers have taken lunch trays away from children with so-called lunch debt, giving them cheaper replacements which have become known as a "stigma sandwich." Some schools stamp the student's hand with a message to parents: "I need lunch money."

Critics of continuing the free-meals-for-all program cite high costs, and others worry it could lead to dependency on government assistance.

Proponents point to research showing that investing in children pays off down the road, in better health outcomes and economic opportunity.

Wheeland said when kids have healthy food in their stomach, they're able to pay attention in class, which leads to greater academic achievement. She said those kids will be more likely to graduate and to land jobs that pay enough to not need public assistance.

"When children have healthy meals, they can thrive throughout their lives," said Wheeland. "And it's really important that we ensure that every kid has the food that they need to succeed, and in the end that will help all of us."

Wheeland said making free meals for students permanent also would cut administrative costs, including untold hours spent by principals and teachers not spent on education.

Schools would no longer have to field applications, determine eligibility, and meet federal requirements including reporting each meal served to the correct reimbursement category.

AUGUSTA, Maine -- School meals in Maine will be free for all students again this year and into the future, but parents are being urged to fill out meal benefit forms anyway.

The income information is linked to other resources school districts can access, from funding for Title I to after-school and summer programs and special education. The U.S. Department of Agriculture extended its free breakfast and lunch program through the 2021 to 2022 school year, and the Maine Legislature included free school meals for the future in the budget bill passed earlier this month.

Anna Korsen, advocacy director for Full Plates Full Potential, said while families don't need to worry about being eligible for school meals, other state and federal resources are needed for students to thrive.

"It's a big piece of helping your school," Korsen asserted. "And it's a way that families can make sure that all students in their school districts have access to educational resources, nutrition resources."

Korsen added before the pandemic, nearly 45% of Maine kids were eligible for free meals, but many more students than expected participated when it was opened up to everyone.

Korsen argued having free school meals is a big step toward improving child food security in Maine overall. She pointed out eligibility requirements in the past did not always capture what the need truly was.

"When there's stigma, a lot of food-insecure students just choose not to eat," Korsen explained. "And when meals are provided free of charge to all students, more kids eat at school, especially the students who are experiencing food insecurity."

Research shows when students are well-fed, their educational outcomes are much better. If a child is hungry, they may have a harder time focusing on the material in class.

Maine and California are the only two states so far to extend free school meals beyond the USDA extension, but there are calls in other states to follow their example.