Got Sun Bucks card for my child in Kings County - what's the distribution schedule?
Just received a Sun Bucks card in the mail today for my 7 year old daughter here in Kings County (last name starts with S). I wasn't expecting this and I'm a bit confused. Is this part of the new school meals program I heard about? How much does she qualify for and when will it be loaded? Also, can I use this card at the same places as my regular EBT for groceries? My neighbor mentioned something about different stores accepting it, but I'm not sure if that's accurate. Any Kings County parents who know the distribution schedule for these cards?
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Brianna Muhammad
Yes, this is the new Summer EBT program (aka Sun Bucks in California) that replaced the pandemic P-EBT benefits. It provides $120 per eligible child for summer food assistance. For Kings County, the loading schedule depends on last name - S surnames should get funds loaded around the 15th of this month. And yes, you can use it anywhere that accepts regular EBT for food purchases, same stores and everything! The only difference is this card is specifically for your child and separate from your regular CalFresh benefits.
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Camila Castillo
•Thank you so much! That makes sense. Do I need to activate the card or anything before using it? And will it automatically reload next summer or do I need to apply again?
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JaylinCharles
i got one for my son last week and mine was already loaded!!! check the balance using the number on the back before u go shopping. my friend said she thought it was empty and embarrased herself at the checkout so just double check first!!!
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Camila Castillo
•Oh that's a good tip, I'll definitely check first! Did you have to activate your card or did it come ready to use?
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JaylinCharles
•had to call the number and make a pin. took like 2 min super easy
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Eloise Kendrick
This program is a JOKE compared to what they gave during COVID. My 3 kids got over $1,200 EACH with the P-EBT cards but now they only get $120?? How is that supposed to feed a growing child all summer!? Kings County always gets the shaft on these benefits while LA and SF get more. I bet they're getting higher amounts there!!
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Brianna Muhammad
•The amounts are actually standardized across all counties in California - every eligible child gets the same $120 benefit for summer. The pandemic P-EBT was much higher because it was covering meals during school closures which lasted months. This summer program is just supplemental for the regular summer break when schools would normally be closed anyway. It's a permanent program now though, unlike P-EBT which was temporary.
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Lucas Schmidt
Same here! Got my son's last week (last name R) and it was loaded with the full amount the next day. Apparently it's going in alphabetical order this year. You should call and activate it right away though, I heard some cards were getting lost in the mail and they'll send a replacement if you report it missing.
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Camila Castillo
•Thanks for the info! I'll activate it today. Does the money expire if we don't use it all by the end of summer?
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Freya Collins
Just to clarify some info: The Summer EBT/Sun Bucks program provides $120 per eligible child for the summer months. It's automatically issued to children who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. The benefits remain valid for 274 days from issuance, so you don't need to rush to spend them all immediately. For activation, call the number on the back of the card. You'll set a PIN and then the card is ready to use. For future years, if your child still qualifies for free/reduced school meals, cards should be reissued automatically - but this is the first year of the permanent program, so there might be some adjustments next year. If you have any issues reaching someone at Kings County DSS about the program, I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) - they helped me get through to a live person when I had questions about my daughter's card. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 showing how it works. Saved me hours of waiting on hold.
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Camila Castillo
•This is super helpful, thank you! Good to know the benefits don't expire right away - that gives us flexibility. And thanks for the Claimyr tip - I'll check that out if I run into problems. 274 days is plenty of time to use the benefit.
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LongPeri
does anyone know if you can use these at farmers markets? we go to the one in hanford every saturday and they take regular ebt with the match program but not sure about these sun bucks cards
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Brianna Muhammad
•Yes, you can use Sun Bucks cards at farmers markets that accept EBT! And you'll still qualify for the Market Match program which doubles your benefits (up to the market's limit). It works exactly like a regular EBT card at farmers markets.
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LongPeri
•awesome thx!!! double the fruits and veggies is always good
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Oscar O'Neil
My daughter qualified for Sun Bucks too but I never received the card. She definitely gets free lunch at school but nothing came in the mail. Do I need to call someone or apply somewhere? How do I check if she's in the system?
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Freya Collins
•You should contact Kings County DPSS directly about this. They can verify if a card was issued and possibly locate or reissue it. Have your child's information ready when you call. The direct line often has long wait times though. When I needed to reach them about my missing card, I used Claimyr to get through - it saved me from waiting on hold for hours.
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Lucas Schmidt
•my neighbors kid never got one either and she had to go physically to the office on kings county drive to get a replacement. said there was some problem with their address in the system.
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Camila Castillo
UPDATE: I called the number on the back of the card and activated it! The customer service rep said benefits for Kings County with last names R-T are scheduled to load on the 16th (tomorrow). Thanks everyone for your help! I'm going to save this for our grocery shopping next week.
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