(FOX40.COM) — California officials announced Thursday that the state has launched the 2026 SUN Bucks program, providing eligible families with food benefits to help combat childhood hunger during the summer months when schools are out of session.
The program will provide qualifying families with $120 per child in food assistance through electronic benefit transfer cards mailed by the California Department of Social Services, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said in a news release.
Newsom stated that the benefits will be distributed as $40 per month in June, July and August to help families purchase food while children have limited access to free school meals during summer break.
“Sun Bucks is a vital program for fighting childhood food insecurity,” Newsom said in a statement. “As the agricultural leader of the nation, our state will not allow for our own children to go hungry.”
SUN Bucks is California’s name for Summer EBT, a federal program approved by Congress in 2022. California opted in to the program in July 2023.
State officials reported that more than 3.5 million California children are expected to be automatically enrolled in the program this year, an increase from the more than 3.3 million SUN Bucks cards activated in 2025.
According to the state, most children qualify automatically if they receive free or reduced-price school meals or participate in programs such as CalFresh, California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids, known as CalWORKs, or Medi-Cal at or below 185% of the federal poverty level.
Children identified by schools as being in foster care, homeless or part of migrant families may also qualify automatically.
Families whose children are not automatically enrolled can apply by submitting a school meal application or Universal Benefits Application through their school by August 31.
CDSS Director Jennifer Troia said families have already used more than $877 million in SUN Bucks food benefits since the program launched in 2024.
Officials noted that benefits must be used within 122 days of being added to the card or they will expire.
The announcement comes as California officials warn that changes under the recently enacted federal law H.R. 1 could reduce eligibility and benefits for some CalFresh recipients. State officials estimate that about 737,000 people could lose CalFresh benefits under the new federal rules.
Newsom added that California became the first state to implement a statewide Universal Meals Program for public transitional kindergarten through 12th-grade students, providing two free meals during each school day.
First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom also highlighted the state’s California Farm to School initiative, which promotes locally sourced meals for students statewide.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40 News.