The Kansas Department for Children and Families is launching a new summer grocery benefit program.

According to the agency, Summer EBT is a new program to help eligible families offset some of the costs of buying food for their school-aged children over summer break. Summer EBT, also known as SUN Bucks in other states, is a partnership between Kansas and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. The program provides families $120 for each eligible school-aged child to buy groceries.

“Summer is a time when many children lose the free and reduced-price meals they get at school and when households might need a little extra help putting meals on the table,” said DCF Secretary Laura Howard. “Summer EBT benefits can be used to buy food like fruits, vegetables, meat, whole grains, and dairy at grocery stores, farmers markets, and other places that accept SNAP EBT benefits.”

“Children and teens need healthy food year-round to play, grow, and learn. Summer EBT will help families stretch their grocery budget during the summer and provide their children with the nutrition they need to thrive,” Howard continued.

Summer EBT benefits will begin rolling out in mid to late July. For most families, Summer EBT will automatically be added to an existing household’s Kansas Benefits Card (also known as an EBT card) or loaded onto a Kansas Benefits Card and mailed to the home. Families that don’t receive Summer EBT benefits but believe they qualify must apply between Aug. 12 and Sept. 11, 2024, through the DCF online self-service portal, dcfapp.kees.ks.gov. Children who receive Summer EBT can still participate in other summer meal programs that may be available in their community.

Eligibility:

Children may be eligible for the program if:

• The child is school-aged (7-17 years old) and received food assistance, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and/or foster care benefits at any point during the school year.

OR

• The child attends a Kansas school that offers the National School Lunch or School Breakfast Program, and the household income meets the requirements for free or reduced-price school meals at any point during the school year.

Enrollment:

By the end of July 2024, benefits will be issued automatically to eligible children whom DCF can identify in partnership with the Kansas Department of Education. Any child(ren) who did not receive benefits by the end of July 2024 may apply for Summer EBT benefits through the online self-service portal, dcfapp.kees.ks.gov. Online applications for Summer EBT will be accepted from Aug. 12 through Sept. 11, 2024.

Learn more about the Summer EBT program at dcf.ks.gov.

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Photo by Ananthu Ganesh on Unsplash