Sun Bucks on the way to Pennsylvania low-income families

A new program that covers fresh groceries for low-income kids during summer break in 2025 will accept applications through the end of the month, the state Department of Human Services said Thursday.

The federally funded initiative, called Sun Bucks, provides $120 per household child on an electronic benefit transfer card. Students enrolled in the free-and-reduced lunch and families with food stamps will receive the money automatically.

Those not participating in either program can still apply online for the benefit.

“The Shapiro administration is committed to helping parents have the resources they need to keep their children fed so they can grow and thrive,” said Human Services Secretary Val Arkoosh during a news conference in Harrisburg. “The new SUN Bucks program will provide eligible households with critical dollars to help bridge the gap during the summer break and ensure that children have enough to eat.”

An estimated 1.2 million children in Pennsylvania qualify for the program, the department said.

"We’ve all experienced how distracting it is to feel hungry,” Arkoosh said. “But many of us are privileged enough to know this is a temporary feeling.”

Congress first approved Sun Bucks, or the summer EBT program, in 2022, although this is the first year benefits have been awarded.

Khalid Mumin, state secretary of the Education Department, drew parallels between summer-induced learning loss and the gap in food access many kids may face during the extended break.

“Students can also lose ground if they don’t have access to healthy and nutritious food options over the summer months,” he said.