New State EBT Program to Replace Summer Meals

This summer, the Puyallup School District will not directly provide free summer meal sites for youth.

Instead, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) will be offering its SUN Bucks program to families who qualify across the state.

What is SUN Bucks?

SUN Bucks is a program to help families buy food for their school-aged children during the summer.

Families will receive $120 per eligible child and will not affect children or families’ immigration status. The funds will be deposited onto SUN Bucks EBT cards and mailed to qualifying families in early June.

Eligibility and Application Process

Some children will be automatically eligible for SUN Bucks, while others will need to apply.

Students may be automatically eligible for Summer EBT if they:

• Are enrolled at a school that offers the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or School Breakfast Program (SBP) and qualify through a meal application or Family Income Survey; or
   
• Are age 8–18 and are a member of a household that receives benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Food Assistance Program (FAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or State-Funded Assistance (SFA).

What If My Student Is Not Eligible?

Students who do not qualify automatically can apply by submitting a Summer EBT application. To qualify for SUN Bucks, these students must:

• Be enrolled at a school that participates in the NSLP or SBP, and
• Live in a household that meets NSLP Income Eligibility Guidelines to qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
• The online application is expected to be live on the DSHS website by July 1 and will be open through August 2024.

How Do I Apply If Needed?

Families who may qualify can also submit a free and reduced-price school meal application through our Food and Nutrition Services Department to qualify for the SUN Bucks Program.

You can find information on submitting an application on our website.

Families who need to apply or who have other questions about SUN Bucks benefits can call the SUN Bucks Contact Center at 1-833-543-3230 (TTY: 1-800-833-6348) between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday–Friday (except observed holidays).

Later this month, families can opt-in for text messaging alerts about their child’s SUN Bucks status at textsunbucks.dshs.wa.gov.