No Kid Hungry Applauds Tennessee’s Return to SUN Bucks for Summer 2027
Summer Grocery Program Will Help Feed Over 700,000 Tennessee Kids
April 17, 2026
Contact: Laura Rice, Lrice@strength.org
Nashville, TN — The Tennessee General Assembly has secured funding to reinstate Summer EBT beginning in 2027, restoring a critical source of summer nutrition assistance for families statewide. The $7 million state investment will provide critical summer nutrition for over 700,000 eligible children, unlocking over $84 million in federal drawdown for Tennessee families.
Summer EBT, also known as SUN Bucks, provides eligible families with $120 per school-aged child to help purchase foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and protein during the summer months when school meals are not available.
In 2024, the program reached more than 700,000 children across all 95 Tennessee counties and generated over $84 million in benefits. Those benefits produced an estimated $134 million in economic activity statewide, with spending concentrated at grocery stores, farmers markets and small businesses. With the program’s return, that impact is projected to increase to approximately $151 million.
“No Kid Hungry Tennessee is grateful to Representative Michael Hale, Senator Paul Bailey and the co-sponsors of SB1911/HB1835 for their work to restore this program for families,” said Marissa Spady, Senior Manager, No Kid Hungry Tennessee campaign. “Summer EBT helps fill a critical gap when school is out and children lose access to regular school meals.”
The need for summer nutrition support remains significant. An estimated 1 in 6 children in Tennessee faces food insecurity. Summer is one of the most challenging periods for consistent access to meals, and studies show that 62% of Tennessee families report difficulty providing enough nutritious food for their children during the summer months. Following Tennessee’s decision to opt out of the federally funded Summer EBT program, participation in the state alternative fell to approximately 18,000 children in 15 counties.
Summer EBT is designed to complement existing summer meal programs by providing flexible grocery benefits that can be used at participating retailers.
“Traditional summer meal sites play an important role, but they cannot reach every family due to transportation barriers, work schedules and limited availability in some rural communities,” said Spady. “Summer EBT allows families to shop where they already buy food.”
Kids who have access to healthy meals during the school year and over the summer focus better, perform better academically, stay healthier and come back to school ready to learn.
For summer 2026, families are encouraged to check with their local schools and community partners to get the latest information on the availability of summer meals programs in their area. Information is also available on the Summer Resource Hub at NoKidHungry.org/Help or /Ayuda.
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.
