Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is again rejecting a federal summer food assistance program for children that would provide needy families with $120 per child for food next summer.

She announced on Thursday that she is instead asking the federal government for financial support to distribute three monthly food packages over the summer to families earning up to 200 percent of the federal poverty line. The packages will be picked up at distribution points or delivered to families who have no means of transportation.

Reynolds said her proposal would feed more children at a lower cost than the Summer EBT/SUN Bucks program while promoting healthier foods.

“Last year, I invested $900,000 to expand two additional USDA summer feeding programs operated by the Iowa Department of Education that provide healthy, balanced meals and snacks to school-age children statewide,” she said in a statement. “Our 2025 plan builds on that concept to promote food security and better health for more Iowa children.”

State officials estimate the program would reach about 300,000 children. Reynolds’ office did not immediately respond to questions about costs Thursday.

The Summer EBT, which most states participated in this year, provides money for food to families earning up to 185 percent of the federal poverty level. This summer, it would have sent an estimated $29 million in federal funds to more than 240,000 children in Iowa as food assistance. The state of Iowa would have paid about $2.2 million to administer the program.

When Reynolds decided last year to reject the program for this summer, she said cash benefit programs were unsustainable in the COVID era and did not promote nutrition “when childhood obesity has become an epidemic.”

The state’s press release on Thursday said Iowa was ranked 18th^th Childhood obesity rates are the highest in the country.

“The complex problems of food insecurity and obesity cannot be solved with cash grants that do not actively promote health, provide nutritious food, or reach all of Iowa’s children in need,” said Kelly Garcia, director of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. “In Iowa, our focus is on the comprehensive well-being of this generation of young Iowans. Our solutions to promote healthy behaviors and balanced, nutritious diets for children must be comprehensive and holistic.”

Luke Elzinga, chairman of the Iowa Hunger Coalition, said while the decision was not entirely what he expected, he was grateful that leaders recognized the high levels of food insecurity.

“We appreciate the state’s willingness to explore alternative options, but we also remain steadfast in our belief that using the Summer EBT to provide food subsidies directly to families is the best decision for Iowa,” Elzinga said. “Research clearly shows that when parents have more money available to spend on grocery shopping, they are able to make more nutritious choices for their children.”

He said grocery shopping money also allows parents to choose foods that best meet their family’s nutritional needs.

Elzinga said anyone who contacted state officials directly or signed a petition urging Reynolds to join Summer EBT should be proud of the decision.

However, he said it had been a tough summer and food banks had faced very high demand.

“Across the state, food banks, food pantries and other emergency response organizations were faced with record-breaking needs, and huge numbers of people turned to them for help,” Elzinga said.

He said those records would likely be broken in the fall and winter as well, as the holiday season is typically the busiest time for food distribution.

When Reynolds rejected the $29 million in federal food assistance for this summer, she invested $900,000 to expand summer food sites that provide free meals to children. Those funds led to the creation of 61 new food sites across the state. Some existing sites were closed, so there was a net increase of 21 food sites this summer, from a total of 512 to 533.

Reynolds’ announcement suggested that these locations would be included in her new monthly food parcel plan.

Elzinga also said it was not clear whether the USDA had the authority to grant the waiver because Reynolds’ proposal was not just a minor change to the summer EBT program, but something entirely different.

The USDA did not immediately respond to IPR’s request for comment on Thursday.

Democratic Rep. Sami Scheetz of Cedar Rapids said it was “tragic” that Reynolds’ decision left thousands of children in Iowa without food assistance this summer.

“While we strongly disagree with the governor’s decision to once again reject federal funding to feed 245,000 children in Iowa next summer, we will try to work with the governor to ensure no child goes hungry,” Scheetz said. “It’s not complicated: Put politics aside and feed hungry children.”