(Radio Iowa) – U-S Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says he hopes Iowa officials reconsider the decision to turn down additional federal food assistance in the summer for about 240-thousand Iowa children from low income households. “I’m hopeful that at some point in time the State of Iowa joins 37 other states that have made the decision to participate in the summer feeding program,” Vilsack says.

Under the program, families with children eligible for free or reduced-price meals at school may receive an Electronic Benefits Card that allows them to buy an extra 40-dollars worth of food per child during the summer months when school is not in session. In December, Governor Reynolds announced Iowa would not participate in the program because of administrative costs to the state and because she says it does nothing to promote nutrition at a time when childhood obesity has become an epidemic.

Republican governors in 13 other states announced similar decisions last year, but in February, Nebraska’s governor reversed course and announced Nebraska would accept 18 million dollars in additional federal food assistance for Nebraska children this summer. According to the U-S-D-A, the parents of 21 million children across the country will get the extra food assistance this summer. “We think it’s a real good opportunity for us to expand the support and help,” Vilsack says, “to ensure that youngsters are well fed.”

Vilsack discussed the summer feeding program during a stop last week in Clear Lake schools. “Teachers and professionals here know that if youngsters can maintain good nutrition throughout the entire year, they come back for the new school year ready to learn,” Vilsack said, “and ready to be what they were intended to be.”

The U-S-D-A had extended the deadline for states to sign up for the summer feeding program to mid-February, but has indicated it will work with all states that are ready to administer the program this summer