Do 6-year-olds qualify for CalFresh Summer EBT/Sun Bucks in 2025?
Hi CalFresh community! Quick question that's causing some confusion in our household. My daughter just turned 6 in April, and I'm hearing different things about this Sun Bucks program (I think it's the Summer EBT?) from other parents. Some are saying all school-age kids get it, others say there's an age cutoff. We didn't receive anything last summer when she was 5, but now that she's in kindergarten, does she qualify? I'm trying to budget for the summer months and need to know if we'll be getting this extra food assistance or not. Thanks for any help!
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Savannah Weiner
my kiddos got them last year but they had to be enrolled in school and we had to apply seperately from regular calfresh
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Giovanni Martello
•Thanks! Do you remember if there was a specific age requirement? She just started kindergarten this year.
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Levi Parker
Yes, ur child should qualify for Sun Bucks! The program is for kids 0-17 who get free or reduced lunch at school. Since she's 6 and in kindergarten she's eligible. They'll send you a different card than your regular EBT. Should be around $175 per kid for the summer I think
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Giovanni Martello
•Oh that's great news! Do you know when they usually send the cards out? Summer's coming up fast and I haven't received anything yet.
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Libby Hassan
To clarify some confusion, the program is officially called Summer EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer), though many people call it "Sun Bucks" colloquially. For 2025, children ages 0-17 are eligible if they qualify for free or reduced-price school meals during the regular school year. Since your child is 6 and in kindergarten, they should qualify. The benefits are typically loaded onto a special Summer EBT card (different from your regular CalFresh EBT card) and provide approximately $175 per eligible child for the summer months to help with food costs when school meals aren't available. Important notes: 1. The school must participate in the National School Lunch Program 2. In some districts, registration is automatic if you're already receiving CalFresh 3. In other districts, you need to submit a separate application I recommend checking with your child's school or district office to confirm their participation and whether you need to take any action.
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Giovanni Martello
•Thank you for the detailed explanation! I'll call my daughter's school tomorrow to check if we're automatically enrolled or if I need to submit an application. This will be a huge help this summer.
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Hunter Hampton
Actually the program is confusing because they changed it recently! Summer EBT is the NEW FEDERAL program that replaced the pandemic P-EBT program. California calls their version "Sun Bucks" and eligibility is a bit different. For 2025, children are eligible if they: - Are enrolled in schools that participate in federal meal programs - Qualify for free or reduced lunch - OR attend a Community Eligibility Provision school where all students get free meals Your 6-year-old definitely qualifies as long as she's in a participating school. Benefits should be about $175 per child for the whole summer. The distribution usually starts in late May and continues through June. If you don't receive anything by mid-June, that's when you should follow up.
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Sofia Peña
•So does this mean all school kids get it at some schools? My neighbors kids go to a school where everyone gets free lunch but we pay reduced at our school.
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Hunter Hampton
•Yes, exactly! If a school is part of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), ALL students at that school qualify for Summer EBT/Sun Bucks regardless of family income. For non-CEP schools, only children who individually qualify for free or reduced-price lunch will receive the benefit.
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Aaron Boston
I've been trying to figure this out too!!! Spent 3 HOURS on hold with my county office last week and never got through. So frustrating trying to get simple answers. My son is 7 and we never received anything last year even though we're on CalFresh. Does anyone know if we need to apply separately or if it's automatic?
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Sophia Carter
•I was in the same boat last month trying to get through to my county worker about a verification issue. I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that solved the problem for me - they hold your place in the phone queue and call you when a real person is on the line. Saved me hours of waiting. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 As for your question, in my county (Sacramento) it was automatic last year if you were already on CalFresh, but my sister in Alameda County had to apply separately.
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Aaron Boston
•Omg thank you!! Will definitely try that service, anything to avoid those endless holds. I'm in Riverside County so I'll try to find out if it's automatic here.
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Libby Hassan
One more important detail: The Sun Bucks/Summer EBT program has different application processes depending on your county and whether you're already receiving other benefits. Here's how it typically works: 1. If your child receives CalFresh, CalWORKs, or Medi-Cal, they are typically automatically enrolled 2. If your child qualifies for free/reduced lunch but doesn't receive other benefits, you may need to submit a simple application 3. Distribution usually begins after the school year ends (late May/early June) The cards are mailed directly to the address on file with your benefits account or school district. If you've moved recently, make sure your address is updated with both your benefits office AND your child's school.
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Levi Parker
•Wait thats confusing. My kids get free lunch at school but we dont have calfresh or anything. Do they still get sun bucks? Last year they didnt get any cards...
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Libby Hassan
•If your children qualify for free lunch based on your household income (meaning you submitted an application for free/reduced lunch), then yes, they should qualify for Sun Bucks/Summer EBT. If you didn't receive cards last year, it's possible your school district required a separate application for the summer program that you missed, or there might have been an issue with your mailing address. I recommend contacting your school district's nutrition services department directly. They can tell you if your children are on the eligibility list for this summer and what steps you need to take, if any.
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Savannah Weiner
btw they usually send the cards out like 2 weeks after school ends so dont panic if u dont have it yet
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Giovanni Martello
•Thanks for the timing info! That helps ease my mind a bit.
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Sofia Peña
Do foster kids qualify? My niece is in the system and lives with us, shes 10.
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Hunter Hampton
•Yes! Foster children automatically qualify for Summer EBT/Sun Bucks regardless of household income. They should receive their own card separate from any biological children in the home. Make sure the county has your current address for the foster child, as the card will be mailed to the address on file with the foster care system.
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Giovanni Martello
Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! I called my daughter's school district this morning and they confirmed she'll be automatically enrolled since she receives reduced-price lunch. The cards should arrive in early June, and they said I don't need to do anything else. This will be a big help for our summer grocery budget!
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Pedro Sawyer
That's awesome news! So glad you got it figured out. Just a heads up - when you do receive the card, make sure to activate it right away and check the balance. Sometimes there are delays in loading the funds even after you get the physical card. Also, the Summer EBT cards work just like regular EBT cards at grocery stores, but they can't be used at restaurants or for hot prepared foods. Perfect timing with summer break coming up!
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