Page 1

Date of Last Review: 05/26/2026 Effective Date: 06/01/2026 Date of Next Review: 05/26/2029 RDA: SW22 Page 1 of 4

Tennessee Summer Nutrition Initiative Policy 24.31 Effective: June 1, 2026

Introduction The goal of the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) 2026 Tennessee Summer Nutrition Initiative (TSNI) is to supplement nutritional assistance in counties with lack of access to Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) or other supplemental summer feeding program options. Children who reside in these counties and who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Families First, the State’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program for nutritional assistance often struggle to obtain adequate food resources after schools close. To address this challenge, the TDHS will issue a one-time cash benefit of $120 per qualifying child in SNAP and Families First households across thirteen (13) counties with limited access to SFSP feeding sites for immediate access to funds for nutritional purchases. The thirteen (13) counties eligible for this one-time issuance were selected following analysis of Summer 2025 SFSP and Tennessee Department of Education Seamless Summer Option (SSO) program data available from USDA. TDHS determined through this analysis that there were five (5) or fewer open SFSP/SSO sites available in these counties. This benefit is scheduled for distribution via Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) in June 2026. To minimize barriers to access nutritional support, no application is required for children in SNAP and Families First households to participate. TSNI benefits will be automatically credited to existing EBT accounts on the designated issuance date. Scope The purpose of this policy is to provide an overview of the TSNI program including benefit amount, eligibility criteria, and issuance, notification, and appeal procedures. Policy Benefit Amount Each eligible child will receive a one-time benefit of $120.00.