By WAFB Staff
Published: May. 6, 2024 at 1:14 PM CDT|Updated: 14 hours ago
The following information was released by the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services:
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Louisiana will participate in the SUN Bucks program for school-aged children this summer, helping to provide more nutritious meals to students during the summer months.
SUN Bucks, also known as Summer EBT, provides grocery-buying benefits to low-income families with school-aged children when schools are closed for the summer.
The first phase of SUN Bucks benefits will be issued this week to approximately 300,000 children, ages 5-18, who received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the 2023-2024 school year. A one-time payment of $120 per eligible child will be loaded onto their household’s SNAP EBT card by Friday.
SUN Bucks must be used within 122 days of the issuance date, or the benefits will expire and cannot be added back to the card.
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Benefits will be issued in multiple phases beginning in June. Most eligible families will get SUN Bucks automatically, but some parents will need to apply.
Phase 2 children are automatically eligible for SUN Bucks benefits and will not need to apply. DCFS is working with the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) as well as the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) and the state’s NSLP-participating schools to gather eligibility information. DCFS will then issue new EBT cards, preloaded with SUN Bucks benefits, to these children beginning in late July.
The Phase 2 cards will go out in waves by eligibility group (Medicaid, FITAP, KCSP, NSLP) over the course of a few weeks.
The Phase 3 application period for children not automatically certified as eligible in Phases 1 and 2 will open after Phase 2 cards have been issued.
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“The SUN Bucks program, along with the other federal nutrition programs like SUN Meals (the Summer Food Service Program), will provide Louisiana students with access to nutritious meals during the summer months,” said Aly Rau, Assistant Secretary of Family Support.
Who’s Eligible for SUN Bucks?
Eligible children in the following categories will receive SUN Bucks automatically, without need for an application, beginning in June:
- Children whose families received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP) benefits during the 2023-24 school year
- Children receiving Medicaid
- Children who applied and were individually approved to receive free or reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
Additionally, children in the following categories may be eligible to receive SUN Bucks but will need to apply:
- Children experiencing homelessness
- Migrant children
- Children who receive free or reduced-price school meals but did not complete an NSLP application (for example, if the child attends a Community Eligibility Provision school where all students are provided free or reduced-price meals without applying)
How Will Benefits Be Issued?
Benefits will be rolled out in three phases, beginning in June with children who received SNAP during the 2023-24 school year. Benefits for these children will be added to their household’s existing Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. Other eligible children who do not have an existing EBT card will be issued one when their benefits are issued.
What If I Need to Apply?
For children who are not streamlined eligible and need to apply, information about the application process will be provided soon on the new Louisiana SUN Bucks website.
What Should Families Do Now to Be Ready?
SUN Bucks will be issued to EBT cards and mailed to the address on file for each eligible child. Therefore, it is important that families ensure their mailing address is up-to-date on their SNAP, FITAP and/or Medicaid case, and with their child’s school.
How Long Do SUN Bucks Last?
Under federal regulations, SUN Bucks must be used within 122 days from the date the benefits are issued, or they will be removed from the card. Once the benefits expire, they cannot be added back on the card.
To stay up-to-date on the latest news about SUN Bucks in Louisiana, visit sunbucks.la.gov.
Because SUN Bucks is a new program with different requirements, not all children who were eligible for Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) will be eligible for SUN Bucks, and SUN Bucks benefits will not be issued on existing P-EBT cards.
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