‘3,347 applications submitted so far’

The Public School System’s Child Nutrition Program and the Department of Community & Cultural Affairs’ Nutrition Assistance Program have already received 3,347 applications for the Pandemic-Electronic Benefits Transfer, or P-EBT, since they started accepting applications last week.

P-EBT is a federal program that will provide the Marianas an estimated $11.1 million that will benefit approximately 11,650 children. PSS’ CNP and DCCA’s NAP are partnering to administer the program.

Through P-EBT, eligible school children receive temporary emergency nutrition benefits via coupons that are used to purchase food. Children who would have received free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Act if their schools were not closed or operating with reduced hours or attendance for at least 5 consecutive days are eligible to receive P-EBT benefits. 

In response to Saipan Tribune’s request for an update on P-EBT, NAP administrator Walter Macaranas said Friday that the Child Nutrition Program delivered P-EBT applications to all public and private across Saipan, Tinian, and Rota last Monday for distribution to 11,500 school-aged children.

Macaranas said the applications were handed to the students to bring home so their parents or guardians can fill out and submit them to the CNP Office Building 1251 next to the Medicaid Office on Capital Hill, or at the NAP Office in As Lito.

Blank applications are available at both the CNP and NAP offices.

The administrator said the CNP office is accepting applications each weekday from 7:30am to 4:30pm and that applicants are urged to arrive at the CNP office before 4:15pm.

The NAP office is accepting applications each weekday from 8am to 5pm.

Deadline to submit applications is on June 11, 2021 no later than 4:30pm at the CNP office, or the NAP office no later than 5pm.

Applicants only need to bring the completed applications and a way to photograph the application after it’s been stamped “received.”

CNP and NAP have underscored the importance for the applicants to record their application numbers to aid in tracking and possible inquiries. Only originally issued numbered P-EBT applications will be accepted. Copies or electronic submission will not be accepted and will not be considered received.

Macaranas said the NAP office will be unable to receive P-EBT applications on June 1 to 7 due to the NAP drive-through distribution. During this period, P-EBT applicants are urged to submit the applications to the CNP office.

The administrator said NAP will begin again accepting applications on June 8.

He said the NAP office is managing the call center and the common inquiries they are receiving are when should they expect to receive their P-EBT benefits. Macaranas said given the complex process involved, initial P-EBT benefits are now anticipated to be issued in July, and that details will be provided once confirmation has been made. He said details will be posted on the CNP and NAP webpages and through public announcements via media.

On another inquiry, Macaranas said some callers have asked, “I have a child under 6 years old but is not enrolled in school or child care. Can I include my child in the application?”

The administrator said their response is “yes,” but they also explained that the child must be a member of a NAP household who has received NAP benefits at any time beginning Oct. 1, 2020. For these situations, he said, NAP will verify against its NAP records and validate whether the child was a NAP recipient and months they received NAP benefits beginning Oct. 2, 2020.

Macaranas said callers also asked “My child is 5 years old and enrolled in pre-K. Is my child eligible for P-EBT benefits?” He said their answer is “conditionally, yes.”

The administrator pointed out that a school that is entitled to provide the School Breakfast Program nd the National School Lunch Program is considered covered for P-EBT. He said any child enrolled in pre-school that is in a covered school receiving SBP and SNLP will be entitled for P-EBT.

Macaranas said a school-aged child is defined as children in pre-school to Grade 12.

CNP director/manager Dale Roberts disclosed that on Mondays, CNP expects to post a list of applications that have been fully processed on the PSS CNP webpage.

“Our office will begin contacting applicants whose applications have errors beginning June 1, 2021,” said Roberts in a statement.

He said the most common error is that the name of the adult signing the P-EBT application is not listed on the schools’ records as being the parent or guardian of all children listed on the application.

Roberts said they have a very large pile of applications with this problem and contacting the applicants directly is time-consuming so they will begin contacting them on June 1.

Roberts asked that applicants not call their office inquiring about the progress of their applications as that takes valuable time away from their already understaffed application process team.

“We are expecting somewhere around 7,000 applications and after two weeks we seem to be right on target,” the director said.

Roberts earlier estimated that each public school children will get a little bit over $900 worth of coupons.

For more information about the P-EBT program, people can visit the PSS and NAP websites at cnmipss.org or cnminap.gov.mp, respectively. They can call the P-EBT contact center at 287-3063 to 287-3065.