Anonymous wrote:I got a letter in the mail stating that the benefits would be lost if I didn't use it. I checked and learned that it wasnt a matter of qualification, like the PP stated. So you have the option of just not using it (letting the benefits expire), donating it or using it to benefit your family by lowering your grocery bill.

It is illegal to "donate" the card itself. You can donate things you purchase with the card, however.

We get the card and use it. I use it to justify buying better quality food for my kid -- I buy more and better quality fresh fruits and veggies for her, higher quality bread for lunch sandwiches, organic milk, etc. We are not poor but we are on a budget and I'm thrilled to have an excuse to buy better quality food for my kid.

We also buy food for food banks when we know they need something specific (it's always good to check -- food banks are not always soliciting all shelf stable foods, it depends on what they have in stock), but we buy that with our own money. Though having the EBT card probably enables us to do that more often than we would otherwise. As another poster pointed out, it's technically fraud to buy food with the EBT card and give it away -- the money is for food for your child enrolled in the title 1 program.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My train of thought was that there are few kids at Title 1 school who wouldn't qualify and it would be more expensive to pay people to process pandemic relief EBT card applications (and a burden for those in need to have to apply) than just giving it to everyone.

Correct. A lot of critism of federal policy reflects a lack of understanding for what it takes to implement programs like these. If your kids are at a Title I school, many of their classmates are likely to be benefiting from the support. This particular funds distribution wouldn't be possible if it had to be administerd at the student level. So, there are trade offs.

+1. People vastly underestimate the administrative cost of programs like these. $120 is nothing compared to the massive undertaking of sorting out millions of students (if the data is even available to do that, which it probably isn’t).

It’s a little like taking the standard tax deduction or filing 200 $40 donations. It’s not worth it.

Used ours today. We pay enough in taxes. Not letting free money go to waste.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I received one for my son. We have a non-public placement out of a school that is definitely not a Title I. DC never fails to impress.

We are in the same boat. I posted earlier that I called and I was told that we qualified.
I do not feel guilty given the amount that we needed to do (FAPE not provided for years). The $120 a month does not come anywhere near the damage DCPS inflicted.

Yep. $120 is an hour with the reading tutor my son required because his school taught him to “read” by looking at pictures.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I received one for my son. We have a non-public placement out of a school that is definitely not a Title I. DC never fails to impress.

We are in the same boat. I posted earlier that I called and I was told that we qualified.
I do not feel guilty given the amount that we needed to do (FAPE not provided for years). The $120 a month does not come anywhere near the damage DCPS inflicted.

Indeed. Take the money and run. It's $120.

We got one last year and reported it as suspected fraud.

All DCPS students are entitled to free breakfast. This card covers kids in non-public private placement whose schools don’t offer any meals. We definitely don’t qualify but use it happily.

Anonymous wrote:This is literally outrageous. Giving money to those who don't even need it and didn't ask for it. Tax payers paid for this too!

Do you know how much waste there is in federal programs?
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/04/us/politics/littoral-combat-ships-lobbying.html
The Navy does not want these ships - but the lobbyists for the area that is scheduled to maintenance them pushed and therefore the Navy was forced to take them.
They are not fit to sail.

And we are talking about $120. What do you think the cost is for 1 day of a Naval maintenance individual who is doing nothing?

Anonymous wrote:https://dhs.dc.gov/service/pandemic-electronic-benefits-transfer-p-ebt-program

Eligible Students - Approved for FARM at a NSLP school (see School List for specific school details) at the end of SY 2022-2023

A student is eligible for FARM if they:
(1) Were enrolled at a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school (meaning all enrolled students are eligible for FARM without an application)

That would be Title 1 Schools, I suppose?

Title 1 and CEP are different.
To reach Title 1 you need a threshold of 35% of the student body qualifying for FARM.
For CEP - you need so high that the effort to track it is not worth it. I am not sure what the % is - but not all Title 1 are CEP

Anonymous wrote:I received one for my son. We have a non-public placement out of a school that is definitely not a Title I. DC never fails to impress.

We are in the same boat. I posted earlier that I called and I was told that we qualified.
I do not feel guilty given the amount that we needed to do (FAPE not provided for years). The $120 a month does not come anywhere near the damage DCPS inflicted.

I received one for my son. We have a non-public placement out of a school that is definitely not a Title I. DC never fails to impress.

Anonymous wrote:When I got a call from somebody administering the program asking if I need help with activating my card / why do I not use it, I said I don't think I'm entitled to this money. "Do you have a kid enrolled in a DCPS Title 1 school?" "Yes." "Then the kid is entitled to the money."

PP said they are not at a Title I school though.

When I got a call from somebody administering the program asking if I need help with activating my card / why do I not use it, I said I don't think I'm entitled to this money. "Do you have a kid enrolled in a DCPS Title 1 school?" "Yes." "Then the kid is entitled to the money."

https://dhs.dc.gov/service/pandemic-electronic-benefits-transfer-p-ebt-program

Eligible Students - Approved for FARM at a NSLP school (see School List for specific school details) at the end of SY 2022-2023

A student is eligible for FARM if they:
(1) Were enrolled at a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school (meaning all enrolled students are eligible for FARM without an application)

That would be Title 1 Schools, I suppose?