SUN Bucks promises grocery benefits for families

Aug. 5—While summer vacation may be winding down, summertime food benefits are still available to kids across New Mexico.

The state Health Care Authority on Monday began distributions of new SUN Bucks EBT cards, a new program that will provide eligible families $120 per child in extra grocery money.

Many New Mexico families will get the funds automatically, but new applicants must submit their applications by Aug. 15. SUN Bucks debit cards will be mailed out throughout this month.

"Our goal is to ensure that every child in New Mexico has access to the nutrition they need to succeed, both in and out of school," Public Education Department Secretary Arsenio Romero said in a news release announcing the program. "The SUN Bucks program is critical in supporting our families and communities throughout New Mexico."

For the agency's Student Success and Wellness Bureau — which oversees student nutrition — the past year has been a year of firsts, said its director, Michael Chavez.

In addition to implementing New Mexico's plan for universal free school meals and preparing for new state and federal rules, this year marks the first-ever distribution of SUN Bucks.

Established by federal law in 2022, the SUN Bucks program is designed to provide families with a boost to their grocery budget in the summer, when parents often can't rely on school breakfast or lunch programs to feed their kids — even if disbursements fall close to the start of the 2024-25 school year.

The Public Education Department used its data systems to identify qualifying children in New Mexico, including those receiving federal benefits like Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; kids eligible for free or reduced-price school meals; and homeless, migrant and foster youth, Chavez said.

New Mexico families that don't receive those benefits can apply for the program, too, if they meet certain income and school lunch criteria.

Then, the Health Care Authority disburses funds in the form of SUN Bucks debit cards, which can be used to purchase fruits and vegetables, bread, meat, poultry and fish, dairy products, snack foods and non-alcoholic drinks.

"Summer should be a time of joy and growth for our children, not a time of worry about where their next meal will come from," Health Care Authority Secretary Kari Armijo said in a news release announcing the program. "SUN Bucks will help bridge the gap, ensuring families have the resources to keep their kids healthy and thriving."

The Health Care Authority estimates that some 275,000 children across the state will benefit from the program.

While programs exist to ensure children across New Mexico eat breakfast and lunch — even during the summer — the extra $120 per child could, for example, cover the cost of dinner, Chavez said.

"That's the hope, that it'll cover dinner for the families," Chavez said. "If there's two students that are eligible, then they'll get $240, so let's hope that they're using it for dinner, too — to put food on the table at night."