By Trish Svoboda

The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) is initiating a new program called Summer EBT to assist qualifying families in purchasing food for their children during summer vacation. Also known as SUN Bucks in some states, Summer EBT is a collaborative effort between DCF and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. The program offers families $120 per eligible school-aged child for groceries.

The distribution of Summer EBT benefits is set to begin in mid to late July. For most families, the Summer EBT will be automatically credited to their existing Kansas EBT card or loaded onto a Kansas Benefits Card and sent to their home. Families who do not receive Summer EBT benefits but believe they are eligible are required to apply between Aug. 12 and Sept. 11, 2024, through the DCF online self-service portal. Children who receive EBT are still eligible to participate in any other summer meal programs available in their community.

Children eligible for the program include:

· Children 7-17 years old who receive food assistance, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and/or had received foster care benefits at any point during the school year.

· Children who attend a Kansas school that offers the National School Lunch or School Breakfast Program, and the household income meets the requirements for free or reduced meals at any point during the school year.