Date: April 20, 2026
Contact: Laura Rice
SUN Bucks Are Returning this Summer!
Families Must Keep Their Child’s Mailing Address Up-To-Date
Sacramento, CA: No Kid Hungry California is excited to share that the Summer EBT program, known as SUN Bucks, is returning for summer 2026! This summer food program provides families $120 in grocery benefits when children do not have access to school meals over the summer break.
SUN Bucks EBT cards will be mailed out starting June through August for children automatically enrolled. Children who receive free or reduced-price school meals through a school meal application or Universal Benefits Application (UBA), or get CalFresh, CalWORKS, and/or Medi-Cal, are automatically enrolled.
Some children may need to apply for SUN Bucks benefits. Families can ask their child’s school for a School Meal Application or Universal Benefits Application. Complete and return the form to their child’s school by August 31, 2026. The forms will be evaluated to determine if their child is eligible for SUN Bucks.
Families can also check their eligibility by visiting summerebt.org/states/california.
“SUN Bucks is a great way to help families provide their children with the food they need over the summer months,” said Kathy Saile, director of No Kid Hungry California. “Working in concert with free summer meals, SUN Bucks is helping to ensure that summer is no longer the hungriest time of year for kids.”
No Kid Hungry California is encouraging families to keep their mailing addresses up-to-date by contacting their child’s school. If they receive CalFresh, CalWORKS, and/or Medi-Cal, they can update their mailing addresses at BenefitsCal.com.
It is also important for families to use SUN Bucks benefits before they expire. Benefits expire 122 days after they are issued. Any unspent benefits will expire after this time and cannot be reloaded.
The SUN Bucks helpline is available at (877) 328-9677. The helpline provides automated support 24 hours a day, seven days per week. Live agents are available Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. – 8 p.m.
No Kid Hungry provides up-to-date information on SUN Bucks, as well as where to access summer meals, CalFresh and more in both English and Spanish at NoKidHungry.org/Help or /Ayuda.
Additional information about the SUN Bucks program, including eligibility criteria and frequently asked questions, can be found at cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks
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About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But millions of kids in the United States live with hunger. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty. Join us at nokidhungry.org.
Last update: April 20, 2026
