The new school year has just begun, but families can already take advantage of a new federal program to support kindergarten and high school students during the summer who would otherwise rely on school meals, sparing families the burden of going over their food budget.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture launched SUN Bucks earlier this year, and in New Mexico it is administered by the Department of Health. Parents can sign up until August 15.
In New Mexico, children are more likely to suffer from food insecurity than the rest of the country: about one in five children is at risk of hunger.
Niki Kozlowski, director of the Income Support Department, said when a child is hungry, it has various effects on their behavior and ability to learn.
“We believe that eating healthy during the summer will help them thrive, especially when they return to school,” Kozlowski said.
Each eligible child in the household will receive $120 toward a new SUN Bucks EBT card in the oldest child’s name.
The first distribution of SUN Bucks occurred the first week of August, and the health department estimates it has reached about 275,000 students. Kozlowski said because it is a new program and New Mexico is one of the first states to provide this assistance, families are covered for August and September, but next year the program will not begin until late May.
“We are trying to build a robust food system that reduces hunger and improves access to healthy food across the state,” Kozlowski said.
Some families were automatically enrolled. Also eligible are students receiving free or reduced-price meals, children in foster care or the homeless, and anyone already receiving SNAP benefits or enrolled in Medicaid for children.
Kozlowski said SUN Bucks expire 122 days after funds are received, but families will receive a reminder 30 days later.
Parents can apply for the program until August 15th. The next and final distribution for the summer will be on September 3rd.
This reporting is made possible by the WK Kellogg Foundation and the listeners of KUNM.
