For Immediate Release: August 19, 2024
Media Contact: Laura Rice at lrice@strength.org 

No Kid Hungry California Urges Families to Apply for SUN Bucks Benefits by August 31

Eligible families can receive $120 per child for grocery expenses

SACRAMENTO, CA  – Don’t miss out: Nearly 5 million students are eligible for California SUN Bucks, a new program that provides grocery benefits for kids when school is out of session. While most households automatically receive the benefit through CalFresh, CalWORKS, or Medi-Cal, some parents and/or caregivers will need to sign up by August 31st.

Through SUN Bucks, eligible families receive a one-time installment of $120 per child on Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, which can be used for groceries like fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grain, dairy and meat.

The rollout of SUN Bucks will continue over the coming months.

“SUN Bucks helps connect kids with important nutrition, so they can return to school happy, healthy, and ready to learn,” said Kathy Saile, No Kid Hungry California director. “We’re thankful for the many state and community partners who worked hard to launch SUN Bucks in 2024. It is important that eligible families know about this opportunity and apply by August 31st.”

For a child to receive SUN Bucks benefits automatically, they must be between the ages of 6 and 18 years and get CalFresh, CalWORKS, or Medi-Cal; OR be between ages 0 and 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. Children who are attending Head Start, experiencing homelessness, living in foster care or part of a migrant family are also automatically eligible.

With School Meals for All, all California public schools provide school meals at no cost without an application. In order to be eligible for the SUN Bucks benefit, families must apply by submitting a school meal application or Alternative Income Form to their child’s school by August 31, 2024. 

Families can check eligibility and find more information at https://www.summerebt.org/. Additional resources for partners to help spread the word can be found at https://cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks. Families can also call the SUN Bucks helpline at (877) 328-9677. Live agents are available Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. – 8 p.m. 

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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.

Last reviewed: August 19, 2024