Louisiana families have a new tool to help fight summer hunger: the SUN Bucks program, a summer grocery benefit initiative providing $120 per eligible child to help cover the cost of food while school is out.
Administered by the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), SUN Bucks supports families when children no longer have access to school-provided meals. The one-time benefit is loaded onto an EBT card and can be used at grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and online food retailers that accept SNAP.
Children are automatically eligible if they were born between August 8, 2006, and July 1, 2019, and received benefits such as SNAP, FITAP, KCSP, or income-based Medicaid at any time from July 2024 to August 2025. Children approved for free or reduced-price school meals also qualify.
Families who don’t receive those benefits may still be eligible based on income and can apply at sunbucks.la.gov. Those receiving SNAP will see the SUN Bucks added to their existing cards, while others will receive new cards by mail.
Benefits must be used within 122 days of being loaded. For more information, visit sunbucks.la.gov or call 1-888-997-1117.
SUN Bucks is made possible through funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
