SUN Bucks (Summer EBT)

SUN Bucks in California

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SUN Bucks is a summer program that helps families buy food for their children when schools are closed. Families will get $120 per eligible child to buy food at grocery stores, farmers markets, and more! Children who get SUN Bucks can still participate in other summer meals programs.

Using SUN Bucks will not affect immigration status.

Most children will automatically receive SUN Bucks, but many families will still need to apply. Check in with your child's school or school district office to submit a school meals application or a Universal Benefits Application before August 31, 2026, if you haven't done so already.

Apply for SUN Bucks Before August 31

Scroll down to our FAQ to learn more. Have a question we didn’t address? Contact the SUN Bucks helpline at (877) 328-9677.

Join our Every Kid, Every Day campaign for updates and opportunities to call our leaders to improve and expand the SUN Bucks program.

Calls to Action

Reach out to your legislators to ask them to support the Stop Child Hunger Act and expand SUN Bucks.
How has your experience with SUN Bucks been? Share your story here.

Click Here to Take Action

Need help with your SUN Bucks benefits?

Nourish California is an advocacy organization and is unable to provide assistance with individual SUN Bucks cases, including questions about eligibility, applications, replacement cards, or benefits.

For help with your specific case, please contact the California Department of Social Services (CDSS):

SUN Bucks Helpline: (877) 328-9677
Website: https://www.cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks

If you're experiencing a broader issue with the SUN Bucks program or have feedback about how the program could better serve California families, we'd love to hear from you as part of our advocacy efforts.

Resources

SUN Bucks website

SUN Bucks video

English Flyer, School Flyer

CDSS SUN Bucks webinars

CDSS SUN Bucks Partner Resources

USDA SUN Bucks (Summer EBT) website

No Kid Hungry Outreach Materials

SUN Bucks Screener: Check to see if you're eligible for SUN Bucks!

SUN Bucks Flyers for Families

Frequently Asked Questions

Overview

What is SUN Bucks?

SUN Bucks is a new, permanent program that helps families buy food for their children this summer and in following years during the summer months when schools are closed. SUN Bucks is similar to CalFresh and works like debit cards. Children who get SUN Bucks can participate in food programs like CalFresh and other summer meal programs. SUN Bucks will not affect immigration status.

For more information, visit the SUN Bucks website at: www.cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks.

How do SUN Bucks work?

Each eligible child will receive a SUN Bucks card with $120 to purchase food during the summer. The SUN Buck cards work like CalFresh EBT cards, similar to debit cards.

You can use SUN Bucks to buy food (except prepared/hot foods) at grocery stores, farmers markets, and other stores that accept CalFresh EBT benefits.

Families MUST use the benefits within 122 days, or around 4 months, after being loaded on the card. Any unused money on your card after 122 days will expire. You can call the SUN Bucks hotline at (877) 328-9677 to check when your card will expire.

Who can get SUN Bucks?

Your child is eligible for SUN Bucks if they:

Receive CalFresh, Medi-Cal (at or under 185% of the Federal Poverty Line), or CalWORKs; OR
Attend a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and/or the School Breakfast Program (SBP) and have filled out an application and been approved for free or reduced-price school meals; OR
Are in Head Start, experiencing homelessness, living in foster care, are a runaway, or are part of a migrant family.

How can I apply for SUN Bucks?

Automatic Enrolment (Streamlined Certification)

If your child (6-18 years) receives CalFresh or CalWORKs, you do not need to apply. Your child will receive a SUN Bucks card automatically.
Some children receiving Medi-Cal can be automatically eligible when family income is at or under 185% of the Federal Poverty Line. CDDSS recommends that you apply

Who Needs to Fill out an Application?

Over 1.8 million children are not automatically enrolled and will need to apply this year. Your child might need to apply, even if they received automatic benefits last year.

Children ages 0-22 years who attend a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or the School Breakfast Program (SBP) are also eligible for SUN Bucks if they are certified to meet the income eligibility guidelines.
To certify that your child is eligible, you must submit a Universal Benefits Application or School Meal Application to your child's school. You should apply if any of the following criteria apply to your family:
- Your child gets meals through California's Universal Meals Program (UMP). In California, the UMP provides school meals at no cost to all school-age children, regardless of household income. Even if your child gets a free school meal, it does not guarantee that they will qualify for SUN Bucks benefits.
- Children who get Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) or participate in the Adoption Assistance Program, but do not participate in CalFresh or CalWORKs.

Make sure to fill out a school meal application or a Universal Benefits Application at your child’s school before August 31, 2026. If your child's school is closed, you can visit the school district office to fill out either form.

Access to the Universal Benefits Application (UBA)(DOCX) template:
Available Translations of the Universal Benefits Application

Will SUN Bucks cards expire?

Can I still receive CalFresh and participate in other summer meal programs if we receive SUN Bucks?

Will getting SUN Bucks affect my family’s immigration status?

When Will my Children Recieved their Cards

CDSS will mail the cards in alphabetical order by the child's last name (A-Z) in two stages.

Stage 1: Streamlined certified children will get their SUN Bucks cards in the mail in late May through July 2026.

Month	Last Name Starting Letter
Late May	A-C
Early June	D-F
Mid June	G-L
Late June	M-P
Early July	Q-S
Mid July	T-Z

Stage 2: SUN Bucks cards will be delivered in late July 2026 for
- Newly enrolled children in CalFresh, CalWORKS, or Medi-Cal.
- Children who filled out a Universal Benefit Application or School Meals Application and have been approved

Eligibility

My child receives free meals at school, but we did not submit a meal application or Alternative Income Form. What should we do to get SUN Bucks this summer?

Make sure to fill out a school meal application or Universal Benefits Application at your child’s school or school district office before August 31, 2026. Even if your child is receiving free meals at school, they will only be eligible for SUN Bucks if you have 1) filled out a school meal application or Universal Benefits Application AND 2) been approved.

Your child is also eligible for SUN Bucks if they are between 6-18 years old and receive CalFresh, Medi-Cal (at or under 185% of the Federal Poverty Line), or CalWORKs, regardless of whether they receive free meals at their school or which school they attend.

My child is enrolled in daycare, preschool, Head Start, or Transitional Kindergarten and receives free or reduced-price meals. Do they qualify for SUN Bucks?

Children enrolled in a daycare, preschool, Head Start, or Transitional Kindergarten may be eligible if their school participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and/or the School Breakfast Program (SBP). Many daycares and preschool programs operate the Child and Adult Care Food Program instead of NSLP or SBP. Ask your child’s daycare, preschool, Head Start, or Transitional Kindergarten program if you have questions about whether they are enrolled in NSLP or SBP.

Families will still need to fill out a school meal application or an Universal Benefits Application for their children and be approved to receive free or reduced-price meals.

Children who attend in-home childcare (family day care homes) are not eligible for SUN Bucks because in-home childcare providers (family day care homes) do not operate NSLP or SBP.

My child attends private school. Do they qualify for SUN Bucks?

Private school students between the ages of 6 and 18 who receive CalWORKs, CalFresh, and/or Medi-Cal (at or under 185% of the Federal Poverty Line) will automatically receive SUN Bucks.

If the private school participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and/or the School Breakfast Program (SBP), and you have filled out a school meal application or an Universal Benefits Application for your child and have been approved, your family will receive a SUN Bucks card.

My child is homeschooled and/or is enrolled in virtual education. Do they qualify for SUN Bucks?

My child is graduating from high school this year. Do they qualify for SUN Bucks?

I filled out a school meal application for my child after summer started. Will they still get SUN Bucks benefits?

I was told my child doesn’t qualify for SUN Bucks.