AS of Friday, the CNMI Public School System-Child Nutrition Program and CNMI Department of Community and Cultural Affairs-Nutrition Assistance Program had received 3,347 Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer, or P-EBT, applications.
11,500 applications were issued to public and private school-aged children on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota to bring home to their parents or guardians.
Blank applications are available at the PSS Child Nutrition Program or CNP office on Capital Hill, Building No. 1251, next to the Medicaid office, or at the NAP office in As Lito.
Completed applications can be submitted to either office.
The CNP office is accepting applications each weekday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Applicants are urged to arrive at the CNP office before 4:15 p.m., while the NAP office is accepting applications each weekday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
CNP Director Dale Roberts said applicants only need to bring the completed applications and a way to photograph the application after it has been stamped as having been received.
It is important that applicants record their application numbers to aid in tracking and possible inquiries.
Roberts said on Monday, CNP expects to post a list of applications that have been fully processed on the PSS Child Nutrition Program webpage.
“Our office will begin contacting applicants whose applications have errors beginning June 1, 2021,” he added.
The offices have found that the most common error made on the application is that the name of the adult signing the application is not listed on the schools’ records as being the parent or guardian of all children listed on the application.
“We have a very large pile of applications with this problem and contacting the applicants directly is time consuming, so we’ll begin contacting them on June 1. We ask that applicants not call our office asking about the progress of their applications as that takes valuable time away from our already under-staffed application processing team,” said Roberts.
CNP is expecting somewhere around 7,000 applications and seem to be right on target just two weeks in, he added.
NAP Administrator Walter Macaranas, for his part, said his office is managing the call center.
Common inquiries they have been receiving are when applicants should expect to receive their P-EBT benefits.
Given the complex processes involved, Macaranas explained, initial P-EBT benefits are now anticipated to be issued in July.
Further details will be provided and posted on the CNP and NAP websites and other public announcement platforms as they are made available.
Children under six years of age who are not enrolled in school or child care must be a member of a NAP household who has received NAP benefits at any time beginning October 1, 2020 in order to be included on the P-EBT application.
NAP will verify against its records and validate whether the child was a NAP recipient, and if the child received NAP benefits beginning October 1, 2020.
A school that is entitled to provide the School Breakfast Program and the National School Lunch Program is considered a covered school for P-EBT.
Thus, any child enrolled in pre-school that is in a covered school receiving SBP and NSLP will be entitled to P-EBT.
A school-aged child is defined as children in pre-school to Grade 12.
Only originally issued numbered P-EBT applications will be accepted. Copies or electronic submission will not be accepted and will not be considered received.
Deadline to submit applications is no later than 4:30 p.m. on June 11, 2021 at the CNP office, or no later than 5:00 p.m. on June 11, 2021 at the NAP office
The NAP office is unable to receive P-EBT applications during June 1 to 7, 2021 due to the NAP drive-thru distribution, but will resume accepting applications on June 8, 2021.
For more information about the P-EBT program, e visit the PSS and NAP website at cnmipss.org or cnminap.gov.mp or call the P-EBT contact center at 287-3063 to 287-3065.
