Who is Eligible?

There are two ways for your child to be eligible for SUN Bucks: Streamlined Certification (Automatic Enrollment) and Application.

Eligibility Details

Children ages 6-18 years who get CalFresh or CalWORKs are streamline certified to be eligible for SUN Bucks.
- Reminder: Some children getting Medi-Cal can be automatically eligible for SUN Bucks. However, if your child does not get CalFresh or CalWORKs, and is not approved for Free and Reduced Price Meals at their school, then they might not be eligible automatically. CDSS recommends that you apply.

Children ages 0-22 years who attend a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or the School Breakfast Program (SBP) are also eligible for SUN Bucks if they are certified to meet the income eligibility guidelines. To certify that your child is eligible, you must submit a Universal Benefits Application or School Meal Application to your child's school. You should apply if any of the following criteria apply to your family:
- Your child gets meals through California's Universal Meals Program (UMP). In California, the UMP provides school meals at no cost to all school age children, regardless of household income. Even if your child gets a free school meal, it does not guarantee that they will qualify for SUN Bucks benefits.
- Children who get Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) or participate in the Adoption Assistance Program, but do not participate in CalFresh or CalWORKs.