The California Department of Social Services has provided information about the 2025 SUN Bucks program. SUN Bucks provides nutrition benefits to families with school age children during the summer.
The 2025 SUN Bucks eligibility period is July 1 to September 2, 2025. CDSS will begin mailing EBT Cards in June. Cards will be mailed to the address on file in CALPADS or CalSAWS. The benefit is $120 per child. Each child in home will get a separate EBT card.
Children are eligible for SUN Bucks if:
- They are ages 6-18 and categorically eligible. Categorically eligible is if they are eeceiving assistance under CalFresh, CalWORKs, and/or Medi-Cal (certified at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level [FPL]), or are In foster care, homeless, migrant, in Head Start, and a runaway.
- They are enrolled in a National School Lunch Program/School Breakfast Program (NSLP/SBP)-participating school and are categorically eligible, certified to receive Free or Reduced-Price Meals (FRPM), otherwise determined eligible to receive FRPM; or determined eligible through a Universal Benefits Application (UBA); or.
- They are enrolled in a special provision school, and categorically eligible, otherwise meet the requirements to receive FRPM; or determined eligible through an UBA.
Children are eligible for streamlined application, and are automatically eligible if they are ages 6-18 who and categorically eligible, or ages 0-22 attending an NSLP/SBP-participating school and certified for FRPM
Children who are not automatically eligible must complete a school meals application with their school or a Universal Benefits Application on the California Department of Education website by September 2.
SUN Bucks benefits are expunged 122 days after funds are loaded onto the EBT card and cannot be restored.
Families can get assistance about SUN Bucks by calling the Helpline at (877) 328-9677. This includes not receiving a card by the end of August, replacement of a lost or stolen card, and disputes about eligibility.
Families may be eligible for replacement SUN Bucks in case of family misfortune such as a power outage lasting four hours or more, or a disaster. Families must report the loss to the Helpline within 10 days.
SUN Bucks does not affect eligibility for CalFresh or other nutrition programs. (ACWDL, May 14, 2025.)