Ron DeSantis and the Department of Children and Families announced Thursday the extension of two federal programs to help poverty-stricken families during the coronavirus pandemic. DCF reported receiving nearly one million applications for public assistance. According to DeSantis, nearly 3 million people in Florida benefit from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides a monthly supplement to buy food with the help of a debit card. The U.S. Department of Agriculture funds SNAP and the Department of Health and Human Services funds the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, which provides cash assistance for families’ living expenses. To deal with the increasing demand for public assistance, DeSantis and DCF Secretary Chad Poppell invested more resources on the state’s Economic Self-Sufficiency program, which handles the applicants’ eligibility.

MIAMI – The Florida Department of Children and Families announced Tuesday food stamp recipients will be able to buy groceries online from Walmart or Amazon. U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients will be able to use their Electronic Benefits Transfer card to pay for groceries online starting April 21st. DCF is working with the USDA and the Florida Retail Federation to expand the network. Lorena Holley, the Florida Retail Federation vice president and general counsel, said retailers were grateful DCF was removing bureaucracy. Beverly Cole, Walmart’s senior director of payment acceptance, said more than 250 stores in Florida have curbside pick-up options.