Gov. Kim Reynolds’ “healthier and cheaper” alternative to federal summer food assistance programs is again facing criticism that it is less convenient and covers fewer food-insecure Iowans than the national program and offers families fewer choices than initially promised.
Reynolds’ Healthy Kids Iowa was announced in May after the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved the pilot program as an alternative to the federal Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer program. The federal program would have added $40 per month to a family’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program card for each school-age child during schools’ summer break that can be used at retailers across the state.
The Healthy Kids Iowa program was billed in the initial release as having “more than 500 access points statewide.” Currently, there are 254 access points for the governor’s program, where families can pick up pre-made boxes of food, valued at $40, to be prepared at home. A spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services said the remaining access points are summer meal sites overseen by the Department of Education, where kids can eat a meal on site.
Meanwhile, there are over 2,900 retailers across Iowa that accept SNAP benefits, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Advocates for food assistance say the state’s program falls far short of Summer EBT as a way to get help to families in need.
“Transportation barriers exist whether you’re two blocks away from a summer meal site or a Healthy Kids Iowa site or 20 miles,” said Luke Elzinga, board chair of Iowa Hunger Coalition.
Additionally, in the May announcement, Iowans were told they could “choose their monthly items, respecting their preferences and cultural and dietary needs.” Elzinga says that this is something his team “hasn’t necessarily seen pan out.” However, certain locations, such as the HACAP food reservoir in Hiawatha, allow families to choose from three prepackaged “menus.”
Reynolds said in an interview in late May with “Iowa Press,” the program cost the state around $9 million to administer. A more recent Facebook post from the governor’s office claims the new program cost the state $19,000 in administrative costs.
Iowa HHS contracted six Feeding America Food Banks to administer the new program throughout the state. These food banks are in charge of sourcing the food, finding distribution partners and determining areas of need throughout the state.
“Well, it’s a heavy lift but we’re getting it done,” said Annette Hacker, vice president of Food Bank of Iowa. “It’s funding relief that was not available in our state the past two years, so obviously we support any effort that will get more food on the table for Iowa kids.”
Hacker said her team had “just a little over a month to prepare.” Preliminary talks with Iowa HHS on a plan for this program began in April with a revised plan being submitted on June 3. Some Healthy Kids Iowa sites began serving food the next day. Hacker said this was made possible by the commitment of 125 of the food bank’s 700 partners, which are acting as sites for the program.
The food itself is chosen in accordance with the USDA “Thrifty Food Plan,” which focuses on foods that are “nutritious, broadly appeal to kids and/or are easy to prepare by kids and caregivers.” Eligible families are given one pre-made box of food per month, per child at one of 254 locations statewide.
Some examples of items the Food Bank of Iowa purchased are macaroni and cheese cups, pasta and sauce, 1% milk, fruit and vegetable cups, ground beef, fresh produce (including avocados, grapes, pears, clementines and apples), shredded cheese, fresh eggs, protein waffle/pancake mix, tortillas, deli meat, whole wheat crustless sandwiches made with a peanut butter alternative, and protein shakes. However, available foods vary at each site.
Despite an emphasis on fresh foods and produce, Hacker says there “shouldn’t be any concerns about perishability because everything is fresh, first run, good, nutritious food.” The team has deliberately chosen fresh foods with longer shelf life. Hacker also said Food Bank of Iowa “can stretch a dollar pretty far” because purchases are made in bulk.
Food insecurity on the rise
“Food insecurity is at record levels and it has been climbing for the last three-plus years,” she said. “Ever since April 2022 when pandemic-era benefits were lifted, we’ve seen rising and record numbers every single month.”
According to Feeding America, about 385,130 people are facing hunger in Iowa — and of those, more than 120,000 are children. The Feeding America network distributed over 6 million meals last year. In comparison, SNAP provided nine times that amount.
In Iowa, 40.7% of households receiving SNAP benefits have children. Additionally, USDA research suggests that summer EBT programs can decrease the number of kids with very low food security by one-third; increase the consumption of whole grains, dairy, fruits and vegetables; and decrease sugar sweetened beverage consumption.
Elzinga says the program, which would have cost the state $4.4 million, according to a post from Reynolds, has a 50% administrative cost share, meaning it would have cost the state $2.2 million to administer. Additionally, USDA has grant programs “could have halved the cost.”
Fewer kids fed with state program
The Iowa Hunger Coalition submitted a sign-on letter protesting the governor’s decision not to participate in summer EBT in December 2024. Elzinga said Healthy Kids Iowa aims to assist about 65,000 kids throughout the state, just over a quarter of the estimated 245,000 kids who would have been assisted by summer EBT programs. Additionally, Elzinga notes that administering this program could have generated up to $45.4 million in state economic activity.
“I don’t think cost was ever the barrier,” Elzinga said. “It seemed like the opposition to summer EBT was rooted in the fact that you weren’t allowed to ban certain food items from being purchased.”
Elzinga said the coalition was told by the governor’s office “there’s no evidence that (summer EBT) promotes healthy eating.” Since December 2023, when Reynolds originally opted out of participating, the USDA has allowed states to restrict certain food items. On Jan. 1, 2026, Iowa will restrict the usage of SNAP benefits in purchasing “all taxable food items as defined by the Iowa Department of Revenue except food producing plants and seeds for food producing plants.”
Elzinga said his team tried unsuccessfully to persuade the governor to put in place a similar restriction to allow for the implementation of summer EBT that would exclude sugary treats.
SNAP cuts raise concerns
Hacker said Food Bank of Iowa is “gravely concerned” about the proposed cuts to SNAP under the “big, beautiful bill” and says it will have “devastating impacts” on Iowa families. The expansive budget bill would cut upward of $220 billion from SNAP, the biggest cut in the history of the program.
She also notes state “cost-sharing” annually will cost Iowa another $40 million to administer food services. Elzinga also notes that cost-shifting could affect other programs through Iowa HHS, including Medicare and Medicaid, both of which will also see unprecedented cuts under this bill.
“This is a massive, complicated, messy bill to understand but it will cut out 9.5 billion meals a year for people facing food insecurity,” she said. “If you look at all 200 Feeding America food banks, and all the partners, the pantries and agencies we support across the entire country, last year we distributed 6 billion meals. So how in the world could the charitable food system absorb 9.5 billion more meals a year?”
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