Maryland rolls out SUN Bucks program, giving families $40 per child for summer groceries
BALTIMORE —
Gov. Wes Moore announced the launch of the 2026 summer food support program known as Maryland SUN Bucks, which helps families of school-age children buy groceries during the summer break.
The initiative, unveiled in 2024, gives students whose families receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Temporary Cash Assistance benefits an additional $40 per student each month from June to August.
“No child should ever go hungry, and the success of SUN Bucks has brought that goal closer to reality, ensuring students have access to essential meals to thrive in the summertime,” Moore said in a written statement.
The governor added that the program has been a “critical lifeline for families to bring food to their table, as our administration invests in communities to combat food insecurity, improve community health outcomes, and fight to end child poverty.”
Students qualifying through Medicaid, the free and reduced-price school meals program, or out-of-home care are also automatically enrolled, the governor’s office said. The benefits will be issued in the last week of the month.
According to the governor’s office, last summer, more than 630,000 students received benefits through the program, which disbursed $75 million in direct benefits.
“SUN Bucks bridges the critical hunger gap that opens when schools close for the summer– a gap that has widened due to federal changes in the SNAP program. Maryland continues to step up to combat childhood poverty and ensure our customers can afford to feed their families,” Acting Maryland Human Services Secretary Stacy Rodgers said in a statement.
For more information and to check eligibility, visit dhs.maryland.gov/sunbucks.
Earlier on Monday, the governor’s office also announced new state funding to increase access to fresh produce in Maryland’s high-poverty communities.
The Maryland State Department of Education also has an interactive summer meals site finder available online here.
