Indiana opts out of federal SUN bucks program

INDIANAPOLIS — Less than a year after the federal SUN Bucks program launched in Indiana, the State has decided to opt out of it.

The program, also known as Summer EBT, offered low-income families $120 per child to buy groceries in the summer.

“It’s going to truly hurt some of the people in Indiana,” said Brittany Jointer, the child nutrition director for Wayne Township Schools.

Jointer said the Indiana SUN Bucks Program helped more than 12,000 kids in her school district last year.

”Closing that program was unfortunate for our families and our community because they truly depended on that program,” Jointer said.

The program helped feed almost 700,000 kids in Indiana last summer, according to the USDA.

The Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) released this statement regarding the state’s decision not to opt into the program:

“When this administration took office, we discovered that the necessary groundwork had not been completed to launch the program in time for this summer. While we work toward long-term solutions, students in low-income areas across the state can still access free summer meals at approximately 1,000 locations, including schools and community organizations, through the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program.

Families can find meal locations using the Site Finder Map or by calling the Hunger Hotline. The hotline is available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET at 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479) for English and 1-877-8-HAMBRE (1-877-842-6273) for Spanish.”

Mark Lynch, Director of Advocacy for the Indy Hunger Network, said this may impact the diets of Hoosiers.

“They will not have had that same access to healthy, nutritious foods that they and their families would be able to choose by going to the stores this summer, which means we’re going to have harder and harder times and longer lines at food banks and food pantries,” Lynch said.

However, even if the state applies to be part of the program next year, some advocates are concerned that there is a chance the program may soon be gone for good.

“Until we see where budget reconciliation and the skinny budget that the White House put out last week or so, we do not know for sure what will happen,” Lynch said.