Millions of kids are living with hunger in the United States today. And for children who rely on free meals at school, summer can be the hungriest time of year.
Now, thanks in part to the work of No Kid Hungry and other advocates, there’s a federal program to help families buy food during the summer called Summer EBT. Known as SUN Bucks in California, many children will get and receive SUN Bucks benefits automatically, but some families will need to apply to receive benefits. No Kid Hungry is here to help ensure school staff and community leaders have the information they need to support families.
There’s a huge task ahead as we work to help schools, community organizations and state agencies implement SUN Bucks – and ensure that families and communities are aware.
With your support, we’ll make sure every child gets the food they need during the summer.
Team No Kid Hungry
SUN Bucks Helpline (877) 328-9677
What are SUN Bucks?
Starting this summer, parents and caregivers can buy more food for their children with California SUN Bucks, also called Summer-EBT. SUN Bucks works just like CalFresh, but for the summer.
SUN Bucks is a new permanent program that helps families with school-age children buy groceries during the summer when kids might not have access to school meals. Children and families can participate in both SUN Bucks and summer meals, as well as other benefit programs like CalFresh and Medi-Cal.
For summer 2024, the state will automatically enroll about 5 million eligible children based on existing school and social services data.
- SUN Bucks works like CalFresh and looks like the Golden State Advantage card.
- You must use your SUN Bucks within 122 days of funds being loaded and on the card. Expired benefits cannot be replaced or put back on your card. You do not have to pay SUN Bucks back.
Who is Eligible?
Eligible children will automatically get SUN Bucks if:
- They are age 6 – 18 years and get CalFresh, CalWORKS, or Medi-Cal; OR
- They are age 0 – 22 years, attending schools that are part of National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and/or School Breakfast Programs (SBP), AND are approved for free or reduced price meals. Check with your child’s school to make sure your free or reduced-price school meal application or Alternative Income Form is on file.
If children who are already determined eligible for free or reduced-price meals for the 2024 school year, no action is needed. Children who are attending Head Start, experiencing homelessness, living in foster care or part of a migrant family are also automatically eligible.
To check if your children are eligible, ask your child’s school for a school meal application or an Alternative Income Form. Complete the form and return it to the school. They will evaluate the form and determine if your children are eligible for SUN Bucks.
Families must apply by submitting a school meal application or Alternative Income Form to their child’s school by August 31, 2024.
How to Get SUN Bucks
Eligible children will get SUN Bucks on an S-EBT card mailed to their home. You do not need to fill out an application. You will get one new SUN Bucks card for each eligible child.
Most families will begin receiving their 2024 SUN Bucks cards in mid-June through August. Due to the large volume of automatically eligible children (nearly 5 million), issuances will occur in two stages:
- Stage 1: Automatically enrolled kids will begin receiving their cards mid-June and continuing through August. Cards will be mailed in alphabetical order by the child’s last name (A-Z).
Estimated Card Delivery by Month & Last Name for Automatically Enrolled Kids
Month | Last Name Starting Letter |
Mid-June | A – D |
July | E – L |
August | M – Z |
- Stage 2: Kids will get their cards in Stage 2 if they were: (1) not automatically enrolled in Stage 1, and (2) determined eligible after the start of Stage 1. This includes kids who were determined eligible based on:
- Alternative Income Forms,
- School meal applications, or
- Getting CalWORKs, CalFresh, or Medi-Cal (below 185% FPL)
Regardless of when the card is received, every SUN Bucks card will be loaded with the full $120 per child.
Contact the SUN Bucks Helpline (877) 328-9677
If you have a concern with a decision made for your SUN Bucks benefits, you can ask for a review through the SUN Bucks Helpline. To submit a benefit dispute, call the SUN Bucks Helpline at (877) 328-9677.
Families will need to contact the helpline to set up PIN, request replacement cards, as well as verify the value in the SUN Bucks card.
Other Food Resources
Along with promoting SUN Bucks, No Kid Hungry is supporting families by providing a Free Meal Finder service to find free summer meals. Using the Free Meal Finder Map or the 304-304 Texting Hotline, families can find the nearest community site for meals.
Additional Nutrition Resources
- To get free food from your local food bank, visit www.cafoodbanks.org/find-food/
- Apply for CalFresh benefits at BenefitsCal.com
- Learn more about CalFresh
You can use SUN Bucks just like a debit card to buy food like fruits, vegetables, meat, whole grains, and dairy at grocery stores, farmers markets, and other places that accept CalFresh EBT benefits.
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No Kid Hungry CA Graphics:
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About SUN Bucks
- Beginning this summer, SUN Bucks will provide grocery benefits over the summer months to families with eligible school-age kids. Learn more about #SUNBucks: https://cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks #EndSummerHunger
- Introducing #SUNBucks, the new grocery EBT program that helps combat summer childhood hunger. Families with eligible school-age children will receive $120 per child during the summer for groceries. Starts June 2024. Learn more: https://cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks #EndSummerHunger
- When school is out for the summer & food budgets are tight, you can get help to make sure your kids get healthy meals with #SummerMeals & #SUNBucks, a new food benefits program for families with eligible school-age kids. Learn more: https://cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks #EndSummerHunger
Who is Eligible?
- If you’re already receiving food benefits such as CalFresh, CalWORKS, or Medi-Cal, your school-age children are eligible for the #SUNBucks program. Find out more here: https://cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks #EndSummerHunger
- If your child attends a school that offers the National School Lunch or Breakfast Program & your household income meets the requirements for free & reduced-price school meals, your child can receive #SUNBucks grocery benefits. Find out more here: https://cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks
Enrollment
- If you’re already receiving food benefits such as CalFresh, CalWORKS, or Medi-Cal, & have school-age children, you will automatically be enrolled in #SUNBucks. Find out more here: https://cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks #EndSummerHunger
- Enrollment for the new #SUNBucks grocery EBT program begins June 2024. Learn who is eligible, who may be automatically enrolled, and more here: https://cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks #EndSummerHunger
How/When to Apply
- Need a little extra help with your child’s nutrition this summer? Enrollment for the new #SUNBucks program is now open! Check if you’re eligible & apply by Aug. 31, 2024 to ensure your family has money for groceries in the summer. Learn more: https://cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks
- See if your family is eligible for #SUNBucks, the new EBT program launching this summer. Apply by Aug. 31, 2024 to start receiving these new grocery benefits. https://cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks #EndSummerHunger
How SUN Bucks Works
- Great news! Eligible school-age children in California can get #SUNBucks – $120 per child in grocery benefits during the summer. The program launches in June 2024. More information: https://cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks #EndSummerHunger
- Beginning this summer, families in California can get $120 in EBT benefits, per eligible school-age child, to use for groceries while school is out in summer. Learn more about the new #SUNBucks program: https://cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks #EndSummerHunger
- Find out where you can use #SUNBucks summer grocery benefits using @USDANutrition’s EBT retailer locator: https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/retailer-locator #EndSummerHunger
Thanking Collaboration Partners
- Thank you to partners like @NoKidHungry @CAFoodBanks @Nourish_CA @CaliforniaDSS for helping to make #SUNBucks a reality in CA. This food benefits program will help increase food & nutrition security for our kids during the summer break. Learn more: https://cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks
- It takes many partners to help bring #SUNBucks to our communities. Together, we can reduce childhood summer hunger. Thank you for championing #SUNBucks, @NoKidHungry @CaliforniaDSS @CAFoodBanks @Nourish_CA @EndChildPovCA #EndSummerHunger
Spread the Word
- Experiencing food insecurity as a child can have long-term impacts on academic achievement as well as mental & physical health. Help us spread the word about the new #SUNBucks grocery benefits program with this toolkit: https://bit.ly/4chFFyz #EndSummerHunger
- Many kids benefit from school meal programs during the school year, but they lose access to these meals over the summer. Spread the word about #SUNBucks, a new grocery benefits program to support parents in keeping their kids healthy over the summer. Use this toolkit: https://bit.ly/4chFFyz
SUN Bucks Flyers
We invite you to use flyers developed by the California Association of Food Banks (in partnership with GRACE/End Child Poverty and Nourish California).
Spanish (coming soon!)
Armenian (coming soon!)
*Please check the CAFB for additional updated flyers.
Newsletter/Blog Template
Starting this summer, parents and caregivers can buy more food for their children with California SUN Bucks, also called Summer-EBT. SUN Bucks works just like CalFresh, but for the summer.
Simply, children who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals through a school meal application or an Alternative Income Form, or get CalFresh, CalWORKS, or Medi-Cal, are automatically enrolled. SUN Bucks provides $40 per month for food for June, July and August 2024 ($120 total).
SUN Bucks is a new permanent program that helps families with school-age children buy groceries during the summer when kids might not have access to school meals. Children and families can participate in both SUN Bucks and summer meals, as well as other benefit programs like CalFresh and Medi-Cal.
Many children will get and receive SUN Bucks benefits automatically, but some families will need to verify their income to receive benefits. Unsure if your child is eligible for SUN Bucks, talk to your school and complete a School Meals Application or Alternative Income Form.
To help ensure school staff and community leaders have the information they need to support families, we invite you to use this No Kid Hungry California SUN Bucks Outreach Toolkit to help with your outreach.
For more information about SUN Bucks, visit CDSS’s SUN Bucks webpage. You can also call the SUN Bucks Helpline at (877) 328-9677. Additional resources can be found in USDA’s Summer EBT Outreach Toolkit.
Summer EBT Retailer Toolkit
No Kid Hungry also developed this SUN Bucks (Summer EBT) Retailer Toolkit for retailers who accept EBT.
The toolkit provides retailers who accept EBT with benefit-related messaging and resources that support a successful SEBT experience for customers and store staff. Driving awareness and participation in places families can use Summer EBT is a key piece of the puzzle for making this summer successful.
Last updated: June 13, 2024