Summer program to help with the cost of food is available for families with school-age children

The new program provides eligible families a Summer EBT card with $120 of the SUN Bucks benefit per eligible child that can be used to buy groceries during the summer.

"We are thrilled to support our students and their families with the SUN Bucks program," North Dakota School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler said. "This initiative ensures that our children have access to nutritious meals all summer long, empowering them to thrive both inside and outside the classroom."

The Summer EBT program is being provided to qualifying North Dakotans through a partnership between HHS, the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service.

"Nutrition is an important component in advancing strong, stable, healthy North Dakota families," said HHS Commissioner Wayne Salter. "We are excited to be a part of this program that makes healthy food more accessible to those in need."

Children who attended a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program and received free or reduced-priced meals during the school year were automatically enrolled in SUN Bucks. So far, 32,000 children have been automatically enrolled.

More children who were not automatically enrolled may still qualify and households are encouraged to apply for the benefit. Some examples where a child was not automatically enrolled, but may still qualify, include families that did not complete an application for free or reduced-priced meals during the school year or a child that attended a school that provides free meals for every student such as a Community Eligibility Provision school.

Families can apply for the Summer EBT (SUN Bucks) program at hhs.nd.gov/sun-bucks.