June 17, 2024
CALIFORNIA LAUNCHES SUN BUCKS
Keeping children healthy and ensuring that families have enough food on the table are top priorities for the California Department of Social Services. To this end, we moved as quickly as possible to launch SUN Bucks in California, a new federal food program designed to ensure that children in families with low incomes have adequate nutrition while school is out for the summer. California was one of the first states in the nation to launch the program.
English
Español
SUN Bucks will provide $120 per child, which is equivalent to $40 per month for the three months schools are typically closed during the summer. Most eligible families do not need to take any action, as children who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals through a school meal application or an alternative income form, or who receive CalFresh, CalWORKs, or Medi-Cal, are automatically enrolled.
Children who are not automatically enrolled for SUN Bucks can apply for free or reduced-price school meals by completing and submitting a school meal application or alternative income form by August 31, 2024. Families can obtain these applications from their school or school administrator’s office.
Many SUN Bucks cards are already in the mail! Cards will begin arriving in June and will continue to be delivered through this fall.
Without the dedication, collaboration, and hard work of our staff, external partners, and the California Department of Education, launching this program so quickly would not have been possible.
Additional information about Sun Bucks is available on the CDSS website.
In partnership,
Kim Johnson
Director
California Department of Social Services
Children who are not automatically enrolled for SUN Bucks can apply for free or reduced-price school meals by completing and submitting a school meal application or alternative income form by August 31, 2024. Families can obtain these applications from their school or school administrator’s office.
Many SUN Bucks cards are already in the mail! Cards will begin arriving in June and will continue to be delivered through this fall.
Without the dedication, collaboration, and hard work of our staff, external partners, and the California Department of Education, launching this program so quickly would not have been possible.
Additional information about Sun Bucks is available on the CDSS website.
In partnership,
Kim Johnson
Director
California Department of Social Services
QUESTIONS? NEED HELP?
The SUN Bucks helpline, (877) 328-9677, can assist with questions about activating SUN Bucks cards, setting your PIN, and/or replacing lost, stolen, or damaged cards.
The hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Assistance is available in 19 languages. To reach a live representative, call between Monday to Friday, 6am – 8pm.
To speak to someone about your SUN Bucks case, choose your preferred language, do not enter your EBT card number, INSTEAD WAIT FOR MORE OPTIONS, then press “5” on your keypad to get assistance.
https://cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks
Source: SUN Bucks California