Oregon’s Summer EBT returns in 2026 with $120 per child
Lane County families may qualify for $120 per child on Oregon Trail Cards starting June 5, with automatic enrollment for many and applications open through Sept. 1.
Oregon’s summer grocery help is back for 2026, and for many Lane County households it could arrive with little paperwork. The Summer EBT benefit gives eligible children a one-time $120 payment to buy food while school meals are harder to reach during summer break, with money loaded onto an Oregon EBT card, also known as an Oregon Trail Card.
The federal program is run in Oregon by the Oregon Department of Human Services and the Oregon Department of Education. Families with children ages 6 to 18 are automatically enrolled if they already participated in SNAP, TANF, Medicaid below the income threshold, foster care, migrant or houseless services, Head Start tied to the National School Lunch or School Breakfast Program, or the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations during the 2025-26 school year. Other families must apply if they meet the income rules for free or reduced-price school meals and their child attends a participating school. The online application opens June 5, 2026, and the deadline is September 1, 2026. The call center opens June 1, 2026.
State guidance says eligible families will start receiving benefits June 5, 2026. Unused benefits expire 122 days after they are issued, and children cannot receive 2026 Summer EBT benefits in more than one state. Oregon also says the benefit does not affect immigration status, a detail that matters for families weighing whether to apply.
The program has quickly become a major part of Oregon’s summer food safety net. ODHS says the state expects up to 370,000 school-aged children to receive about $40 million in benefits this year. In 2025, Oregon said more than 347,027 eligible children had been issued $41.6 million by late May. The first year, in 2024, the program delivered more than $35 million to around 294,000 children, and Oregon later said participation topped 362,000 that year.
Dr. Charlene Williams, the Oregon Department of Education director, said Summer EBT last year “bridged a critical gap” by replacing about 10 school meals per child per week during summer break and called the benefit “a lifeline for many families.” In Lane County, the support can stack with Food for Lane County’s free summer lunches for children and teens 18 and younger at parks and community centers, giving families another way to keep food on the table when school is out.
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