2026 Summer EBT & Sun Meals

SUN Bucks is a program to provide school-age children additional funds to cover meals over summer that would be available during school hours during the school year. The program provides families with $120 per child per summer to purchase groceries. SUN Bucks benefits can be used at the same grocery stores that accept SNAP (food stamps) and WIC benefits, and Virginians can be enrolled in all three benefits at the same time if eligible for each program.

Unlike other food benefits, enrollment in SUN Bucks does not require you to provide any information about the enrollee child’s documented immigration status or social security number.

The only information required to enroll in SUN Bucks is:

• Household income;
• Child’s name & date of birth;
• Child’s school name;
• Household address.

To qualify for SUN Bucks, the household must live at or below 150% Federal Poverty Level ($3,337 monthly for a 2-person household, $5,088 monthly for a 4-person household)

How do I enroll my children in Virginia SUN Bucks?

Many students will be automatically eligible and enrolled:

• Students who are categorically eligible because of their status as unhoused, migrant, runaway, or in foster care placements.

Note: Not all students receiving free or reduced lunch who attend Community Eligibility Schools will automatically be eligible for or enrolled in SUN Bucks. This does not mean these students are not eligible.

Any family with a child that is not automatically enrolled in SUN Bucks can apply for benefits beginning July 1, 2026 at https://www.dss.virginia.gov/relief/food-assistance/sunbucks/.

What do SUN Bucks benefits cover?

• The SUN Bucks program provides $120 per summer per child.
• Benefits can be used to purchase fruits & vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, dairy, bread, cereal, snacks, and nonalcoholic beverages.
• Benefits cannot be used to purchase hot/prepared foods, pet food, household products, personal hygiene items, medicine, or alcohol.

For more information about SUN Bucks visit https://www.dss.virginia.gov/relief/food-assistance/sunbucks/ or  https://www.fna.usda.gov/sebt

Sun Meals is a program to provide in-person, prepared breakfast and lunch to any child aged 18 and under – no application required!

Schools, community centers, and other public locations all over Virginia will open for breakfast and lunch for anyone 18 and under to access meals throughout the summer. Using the Summer Meals Site Finder, advocates, parents, and kids can locate sites and find the sites’ operation days & hours. There are no eligibility requirements (other than age), and there is no cost.

How do I use the Summer Meals Site Finder?

1. Navigate to https://www.fna.usda.gov/sfsp/sitefinder.

2. The Key indicates that the blue dots are “Eat On-Site” locations, and the orange dots are the “Meals To-Go” locations. The difference is that at the Eat On-Site locations (blue dots), meals are provided and consumed at the location itself. At the Meals To-Go locations (orange dots), the service provider will send children home with pre-packed meals to eat at home or elsewhere. Orange/Meals To-Go locations are specifically designed for the most rural parts of the country.

3. Using the Info bar located inside the map (where it says “Type an address or zip code here”), type the zip code or an address close to where you are searching to find a meals location. Click the magnifying glass to search. You may receive a suggested search address – pick the one that fits the best.

4. The map should update and show you the neighborhood of the zip code or address that you searched for – if it doesn’t, try updating your search to a well-known landmark in the area.

5. If your map doesn’t show any blue or orange dots, use the zoom (+ and -) buttons on the bottom side of the map to zoom out until sites appear and you have enough options to consider.

6. To find information about each site, click on the blue or orange dot. You can scroll within the pop-up to see all of the information about each site, including the dates the location is open, days of the week, and which meals are available.