USDA launches Summer EBT benefit for school children as ‘SUN Bucks’
The Biden administration launched its package of summer school meals programs, including the new summer EBT benefit, under the name of SUN Programs on Tuesday. SUN Bucks, the EBT program, was expected to help low-income families buy groceries for 21 million school-age children during the summer at a projected cost of $2.5 billion.
Participation in summer meal programs takes a nosedive
An average of almost 3 million children ate lunch daily through USDA's summer nutrition programs last year, a huge decline from 5.4 million a day during summer 2021 with the effective end of pandemic-era operating flexibilities, said the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) on Monday. While lunch participation plunged by 44 percent, breakfast participation plunged by 62 percent, to an average of 1.8 million a day.