SACRAMENTO:- Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that funds will be available for eligible families with school-aged children to help prevent childhood hunger during the summer break. The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has begun mailing Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards with SUN Bucks food benefits, providing families with $40 per month for food during June, July, and August (a total of $120) per eligible child during the periods when children have limited access to school meals.

Governor Gavin Newsom said, “Sunbucks is a vital program to combat childhood food insecurity. As a nation’s agricultural leader, our state will not allow our own children to go hungry. These funds will help connect eligible families with access to nutritious food, in order to keep children fed during the summer holidays when they don’t have access to free school meals.”

“Since the program’s launch in 2024, families and caregivers across the state have made over $877 million worth of food purchases using SUN Bucks food benefits,” said Jennifer Troia, director of CDSS. “We are pleased to see this program continuing into its third year, providing essential meals to children during the summer months.”

In 2025, more than 3.3 million SUN Bucks cards were activated. By 2026, more than 3.5 million eligible children in California will be automatically enrolled in the program. For automatically enrolled children, cards will begin arriving at the end of May. Eligible children who are not automatically enrolled will need to apply for benefits through their school.

How Sun Bucks Works

Most children are automatically enrolled if they qualify for free or reduced-price school meals, or if they receive CalFresh, the California Child Work Opportunity and Accountability (CalWORKs) program, and/or Medi-Cal (certified at or below 185 percent of the Federal Poverty Level). Children may also be automatically enrolled if their school identifies them as children in foster care, experiencing homelessness, or belonging to an immigrant family.Families of children who are not automatically enrolled can submit a School Meals Application or a Universal Benefits Application at their child’s school no later than August 31, 2026, to receive SUN Bucks benefits for the summer of 2026.

Under federal rules, funds must be used within 122 days of being loaded onto the card. Any unused funds will expire after 122 days. Expired benefits cannot be replaced. Visit the CDSS Sun Bucks webpage for more information.

Participation in SUN Bucks will not affect eligibility for Calfresh or any other public benefit program. Children receiving SUN Bucks can continue to participate in other summer meal options, such as UN Meals.

About the SUN Bucks program

In December 2022, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, which created a new permanent summer EBT program for states to provide food benefits to families starting in 2024. In July 2023, California passed Assembly Bill 120, which designated the CDSS as the lead agency responsible for its implementation.<em><strong>HR 1: Exacerbating food insecurity

A new federal law, H.R. 1, is reducing the number of people eligible for the CalFresh food program and shortening the duration of CalFresh benefits for some individuals. H.R. 1 recently eliminated CalFresh eligibility for most immigrants legally residing in the country. On June 1, 2026, CalFresh rules will change, requiring more people to meet work or community participation requirements to maintain their benefits. An estimated 737,000 CalFresh recipients could lose their benefits.Learn more about these federally mandated changes to CalFresh.

Leading the way against hunger

California was the first state to implement a statewide Universal School Meal Program, providing all public school students (from kindergarten through 12th grade) with access to two free meals per school day. Governor Newsom also signed legislation to increase enrollment in state food assistance programs, reduce processed food consumption among youth, and expand access to healthy, locally grown food in all California communities.First Couple Jennifer Siebel Newsom also spearheaded efforts to develop the innovative California Farm to School initiative. This initiative works in conjunction with the universal school meals program to ensure that California students have access to two free, locally sourced, delicious, and nutritious school meals.