Louisiana Launches 'SUN Bucks' Summer EBT Program for School-Aged Children
BATON ROUGE, La. - Louisiana is set to launch the SUN Bucks program this summer, providing essential grocery benefits to low-income families with school-aged children.
The SUN Bucks initiative, also known as Summer EBT, aims to deliver nutritious meals to children during the summer months when schools are closed. Approximately 300,000 children, aged 5-18, who received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the 2023-2024 school year, will benefit from this program.
The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) announced that the first phase of SUN Bucks benefits will be issued this week. Eligible families will receive a one-time payment of $120 per child, which will be loaded onto their household's SNAP EBT card by Friday. These benefits must be used within 122 days of issuance, or they will expire.
The benefits will be distributed in multiple phases starting in June. While most families will receive SUN Bucks automatically, some parents will need to apply. Children eligible for Phase 2 benefits will not need to apply as the DCFS collaborates with the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE), and schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) to collect eligibility information. New EBT cards preloaded with SUN Bucks benefits will be issued to these children starting in late July.
