Beginning this summer, Illinois is participating in a new nationwide permanent Summer Electronic Benefit Program (EBT) to provide financial help for qualifying families to pay for groceries in the summer months. McHenry District 156 students who have participated in the free or reduced lunch program this year automatically qualify.
This U.S. Department of Agriculture program called Summer EBT/SUN Bucks is designed to reduce childhood hunger by providing eligible families with a grocery benefit to feed their students during the summer months when students are not receiving meals at school. SUN Bucks 2024 will provide a one-time $120 annual benefit to eligible children via an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) debit card mailed by the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) later this summer.
If you are not automatically enrolled and believe your children are eligible, you can apply to receive SUN Bucks by filling out a simple application. A statewide Summer EBT application will be made available after the school year has ended. More details will be shared once they are available.
For more information, contact the IDHS helpline at (833) 621-0737 or visit their website at: www.dhs.state.il.us/
Please see these links for more information on Summer EBT/SUN Bucks: