SUN Bucks offers $120 per eligible child. California’s records show how much families spent and where some cards never reached their destination.
When school lets out, a SUN Bucks card can put $120 per child toward groceries. In Los Angeles County, more than 77,000 of those cards were recorded as undeliverable in 2024. That’s one place to look when asking how much of California’s summer food assistance makes it to families.
Statewide, California issued SUN Bucks to more than 5.5 million children that year. Families set a PIN on about 77% of cards and spent roughly $494 million in benefits. Each number marks a different step. The state loads the money, someone sets up the card, and a family uses it to buy food. A card that has been activated can still have money left when it expires.
What the 2026 figures tell us
California expected to enroll more than 3.5 million children automatically in 2026. The state began mailing those cards in late May, with a second round scheduled to start in late July for newly eligible children and those whose school applications were approved. The 3.5 million figure was a launch projection for automatic enrollment. Children who qualified through a school application were a separate group.
The same state launch announcement reported more than 3.3 million card activations in 2025 and more than $877 million in purchases since the program began in 2024. Neither figure measures how much of the 2026 benefit families used. California’s published county breakdown covers 2024.
What families reported in the national study
In a November 5 study in JAMA Network Open, researchers analyzed survey responses from 31,059 households they classified as eligible for Summer EBT based on reported income or SNAP participation. Across survey rounds in 2024, an average of 30.3% of eligible households in states that had begun distributing benefits said they received them. That is a household survey measure across states. California’s records count individual children, cards and purchases.
Among low-income households with school-age children, the share reporting that they sometimes or often lacked enough food was four percentage points higher in summer than during other months. The researchers did not find a statistically significant reduction in that hardship associated with states distributing the benefit. The study could not determine how much the money helped families who actually received and spent it.
For California, the next measure is how much of the 2026 benefit families could use while school was out. Reporting when cards reached families, how much they spent and what expired would help counties see where earlier mailings, better address records or clearer instructions could make a difference.
What families can do now
If a card never arrived: The 2026 application deadline was August 31. If you expected a card or applied on time, call 877-328-9677 to check its status or ask for a review of a benefits decision. If you moved, update your address with your child’s school and county office. The state offers SUN Bucks information in Spanish and says using the benefit does not affect a family’s immigration status. www.cdss.ca.gov
If you still have a card: Check the load date and balance on the California EBT cardholder site. Benefits expire 122 days after they are loaded. The state cannot restore an expired balance.
If you need groceries now: Parriva’s guide to CalFresh changes and free food resources in Los Angeles County includes a local pantry finder.
Dining and Cooking