DELAWARE - Delaware Department of Health and Social Services officials say qualifying families will have access to SUN Bucks starting this month. They are also known as the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (Summer EBT) program.
Officials say SUN Bucks provides $120 in grocery benefits per eligible school-age child in the household during the summer. The program is part of a nationwide effort to address child hunger and intends to help families provide nutritious food to their children when school is out and free and reduced-price school meals are not available.
Most eligible children will be automatically enrolled in the program, according to department officials. This includes families who use programs such as SNAP or TANF, or those who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals.
If your family is not automatically enrolled, you can apply through the state's ASSIST portal, which can be found here. To avoid delays in receiving benefits, officials advise that families ensure their contact information is up to date with their child's school or state benefits account. The application deadline for this year is August 31.
"We expect this benefit to assist approximately 98,000 children in Delaware to receive nutritious food during these summer months," said Division of Social Services Director Stephanie Staats. "That is $11.76 million in funding that will go toward helping our kids thrive physically and mentally."
When benefits are issued, they will appear on an existing EBT cards for families who already receive SNAP benefits. Otherwise, officials say newly issued SUN Bucks cards will be mailed directly to households. The funds follow the same guidelines as SNAP benefits and can be used to buy groceries at authorized retailers.
