New York, NY —Applications are open for a new federal program that will provide low-income families in New York with school-age children food benefits to help buy groceries during the summer when kids might not have access to school meals. The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) new Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer for Children Program (Summer EBT), also known as SUN Bucks, will provide grocery benefits to eligible families. These families will receive $40 per month per eligible school-aged child to purchase groceries throughout the summer, totaling $120 per child.

“Nearly 600 thousand children in New York State – one in seven – live in households that struggle against hunger,” said Hunger Free America CEO Joel Berg. “Child hunger soars during the summer when traditional school meals are unavailable. The new Summer EBT program, combined with other federal nutrition programs, will help ensure children’s access to healthy food while school is out.”

Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas, who sits on the Assembly’s Social Services Committee, joined Berg in lauding the rollout of the program. In late 2023, González-Rojas wrote a letter to Governor Hochul calling on her to opt into the program. Over 30 state elected officials joined the call and signed on.

“Food insecurity is on the rise in New York and programs like Summer EBT can help us in addressing this crisis by bringing necessary resources to our communities. I encourage all eligible New Yorkers to apply if they are not automatically eligible for the program. I’m grateful for the advocacy and services of Hunger Free America and look forward to working with them, my legislative colleagues, and the Governor in further addressing hunger in our state in next year’s state budget and legislative session. The truth is that the price of food has gone up and more New Yorkers are going hungry. We can and must do more,” said Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas.

Many children are automatically eligible for the program, including children who are currently receiving SNAP benefits or children who have been deemed eligible for free or reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Their families will automatically receive food cards mailed to them over the summer. Those children who are not automatically eligible will need to apply. More information about eligibility, as well as the application, can be found at the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance website.

Importantly, Summer EBT food benefits will only remain available and accessible on Summer EBT food benefits cards for 122 days after the date they were issued. All unused benefits are removed from the card after this time, so it is vital that families use their benefits before they expire.