SUN Bucks provides food benefits to eligible families with school-aged children to prevent childhood hunger while kids are on summer break. For summer 2026, eligible families will receive $40 per month per child in June, July, and August loaded onto their SUN Bucks electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards. The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) is already mailing SUN Bucks EBT cards to eligible families.
Sun Bucks is a vital program to help keep kids fed with nutritious foods while on summer break, a time when they have limited access to free school meals.
How SUNÂ Bucks works
Most children are automatically enrolled if they qualify for free or reduced-price school meals or receive CalFresh, California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs), and/or Medi-Cal (certified at or below 185 percent of the Federal Poverty Level). Children can also be automatically enrolled if their school identifies them as being in foster care, experiencing homelessness, or part of a migrant family.
Families of children who are not automatically enrolled may apply by submitting a school meal application or Universal Benefits Application (UBA) to their child’s school by August 31st, 2026, to receive SUN Bucks benefits for summer 2026. Families can obtain the UBA from their child’s school or the school administrator’s office.
Per federal rules, funds must be used within 122 days from when they were added to the card. After that, any unused funds will expire and cannot be replaced. Learn more at CDSS SUN Bucks webpage .
Participation in SUN Bucks will have no bearing on eligibility for CalFresh or any other public benefit program. Children who receive SUN Bucks may still participate in other summer meal options, such as SUN Meals.