This week, Louisiana school-age minors who receive free or reduced-price school lunches will begin receiving grocery cards in the mail, as part of the second phase of a benefit program aimed at providing food to low-income students during the summer months. The SUN Bucks program is a nation-wide initiative to feed those children that rely on meals they get in their schools.
The SUN Bucks Plan, administered by the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services, will benefit approximately 320,000 school-age children, according to a press release issued by the entity. In the first phase of the program, about $39 million in benefits were distributed to children who participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the previous school year.
Second Phase of the SUN Bucks Plan
In this second phase, supermarket cards will be sent to students who meet the following criteria:
- Qualify for Medicaid.
- Qualify for the Temporary Assistance Program for Family Independence.
- Have been part of the Family Care Subsidy Program during the 2023-2024 school year.
- Have applied for and qualified for free or reduced lunch during the school year.
Each eligible child, ages 5 to 18, will receive a one-time payment of $120 through a new electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card. Approximately 75,000 cards will be issued weekly in batches. Parents should keep an eye out for a return address in Erie, Pennsylvania, as cards may arrive at different times for households with more than one qualifying child.
Use of SUN Bucks Benefits in Louisiana
SUN Bucks can be used to purchase SNAP-eligible foods at stores that accept EBT cards. However, it is important that beneficiaries use the funds within 122 days of their issuance to avoid expiration of the funds.
For those who did not apply or qualify for free or reduced-price lunches during the school year, there is the option to call the Sun Bucks line at 833-323-7482, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to 2 p.m., or email [email protected] to verify your eligibility for the second phase of the program. Additionally, there will be another opportunity to qualify when the third phase begins at the end of August.
Future Phases and Eligibility for SUN Bucks
Students enrolled in schools with Community Eligibility Provisions, located in low-income areas and offering free meal service options, are most likely to qualify for the next phase. The SUN Bucks website will be updated with detailed information about applying for the third phase of the program.
Funded by the United States Department of Agriculture, the SUN Bucks program seeks to ensure that low-income students have access to nutritious food during the summer. For more information on the application process, families can visit the official Louisiana SUN Bucks website at sunbucks.la.gov.
“This program is vital for many families who rely on school meals during the academic year,” mentioned a spokesperson for the Department of Children and Family Services. “We want to make sure no child goes hungry during the summer.”
The SUN Bucks Program and Its Impact on the Low-Income Student Population
The SUN Bucks program is an initiative that works at the federal level and is active during 2024 in the summer months, when schools are closed. The proper nutrition of millions of school-age children, who live with low-income families, depends on the dishes served in school canteens, and the closure of schools causes them a major disruption.
Each qualifying minor will receive $120 in total, either in single or multiple payments, over the summer months. If the household is already enrolled in SNAP, TANF, or FDPIR benefits, their school-age children are already automatically enrolled and no additional paperwork needs to be done.
If you are NOT automatically enrolled, you can apply for SUN Bucks directly. To qualify, you must meet income limits and other requirements.
Once you’re enrolled, SUN Bucks can be automatically added to your SNAP account, issued as a separate electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card, or shipped in other ways depending on where you live.
