The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), Bureau for Children and Families will begin accepting school clothing allowance applications on Tuesday, September 1, 2020, for eligible children enrolled in West Virginia schools.  Each eligible child will receive a $200 benefit that may be used toward the purchase of appropriate school clothing or piece goods for families who sew clothing for their children.

“In this complicated time we are in, the last thing any family should be worried about is whether or not their children will have clothing that fits. That’s why our wonderful school clothing allowance program is more important now than ever,” Gov. Jim Justice said. “I’ve said over and over how much I love our kids. And this program gives so many of our kids a chance to be comfortable and to feel good about themselves so they can focus on being their best in every way.”

The following will automatically receive school clothing allowance benefits for each school-age child in the home by the end of August:

• Families with school-aged children currently receiving WV WORKS cash assistance

• Those in foster care

• Children ages 4-18 that receive SNAP, are enrolled in school and under 100% of the Federal Poverty Level 

Others may be eligible for school clothing allowance benefits, but the monthly income for a family of four may not exceed $2,184. Verification of income for the month of September must be submitted with the application. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, school clothing allowance program recipients will receive either an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card or a check in place of the traditional paper voucher. This system upgrade allows for both online transactions and increased choice of vendors when purchasing school clothing or piece goods. The EBT card will operate as a debit card; the checks may be deposited or cashed. 

“In 2019, more than 61,193 West Virginia children were assisted by the school clothing allowance program,” said Linda Watts, Commissioner of DHHR’s Bureau for Children and Families. “This program fills an important need for children and families in back to school preparations and now does so in a safe manner by allowing families to shop from the safety of their homes during the pandemic.”