SUN Bucks, also known as Summer EBT (S-EBT), is a new program that started in 2024 to help families buy food for their school-aged children during the summer. Families will get $120 for each eligible child to buy groceries during the summer. Families must use SUN Bucks within 122 days of funds being loaded to their card. Expired benefits cannot be replaced or put back on your card. Children who get SUN Bucks can still get other food assistance programs such as summer meals, CalFresh, and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). SUN Bucks will not affect immigration status.
Eligible families will get SUN Bucks on an S-EBT card mailed to their home. You will get one new SUN Bucks card for each eligible child. You can use SUN Bucks just like a debit card to buy food like fruits, vegetables, meat, whole grains, and dairy at grocery stores, farmers markets, and other places that accept CalFresh EBT benefit
Summer 2026 SUN Bucks Program
Your child will automatically get SUN Bucks if they between the ages of 6-18 years old and get CalFresh, CalWORKs, or Medi-Cal (certified at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level). These children do not need to apply and will automatically get their SUN Bucks 2026 cards in the mail in June through July 2026. The cards will be mailed in alphabetical order by the child's last name (A-Z).
Families with children ages 0-22 who qualifies for free or reduced-price meals and do not get CalFresh, CalWORKs, or Medi-Cal (certified at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level) can submit a school meal application or Universal Benefits Application at their child's school by August 31, 2026 to see if they qualify for SUN Bucks in 2026 based on household size and income. Families with approved applications will get their SUN Bucks 2026 cards in the mail, beginning in August 2026.
Check with your child's school to make sure your free or reduced-price meal application or Universal Benefits Application is on file.
If you are unsure about your child’s eligibility, apply to make sure that you do not miss out.
Watch videos released by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) about the SUN Bucks program: English Spanish
Visit CDSS' Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page to learn more about eligibility, when to expect cards to arrive and many other topics: https://www.cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks/faq
More information on SUN Bucks can also be found on the following websites: https://cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks and https://www.fns.usda.gov/sebt