Virginia social services offers grocery benefit program for school-age children in summer

In a continued effort to address childhood hunger during the summer months, the Virginia Department of Social Services will again partner with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service to issue Virginia SUN Bucks.

A grocery benefit program, Virginia SUN Bucks is designed to help eligible school-age children meet nutritional needs and continue to thrive when school meals are unavailable.

Qualifying families will receive a one-time $120 per-child benefit that will be issued beginning in July. Households already enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will receive the benefit loaded onto their existing Virginia card. Others will receive a new Virginia SUN Bucks Electronic Benefits Transfer card mailed to the address on file at their children’s school. Similar to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, families can use Virginia SUN Bucks to purchase eligible food items at grocery stores, farmers markets and other authorized retailers.

“We are proud to have Virginia SUN Bucks as a resource in our ongoing efforts to reduce food insecurity and help families achieve greater self-sufficiency,” said Virginia Department of Social Services Commissioner James Williams.

In its 2024 pilot year, Virginia SUN Bucks served more than 713,000 school-age children. Of the children served, nearly 550,000 were enrolled in the program automatically. The department anticipates similar action for eligible children and families in summer 2025.

A child is automatically enrolled in Virginia SUN Bucks if:
they applied for and received free or reduced-cost meals through the National School Lunch or School Breakfast Program during the 2024-2025 school year, or
they are school-age, and their household already participates in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or an income-based Medical Assistance program.

If a child is not automatically enrolled under the criteria listed above and the family believes their child is eligible based on their income, they can apply for Virginia SUN Bucks by printing and completing the application online. The mailable application is available year-round. From July 1 through August 30, 2025, families can also apply over the phone by contacting the Virginia SUN Bucks call center at 866-513-1414 (toll-free) weekdays between 9:15 a.m. and 6 p.m. Applications will undergo a review process with benefits distributed to qualifying children beginning in July.

Families and community partners are encouraged to visit online for more information about the program, including frequently asked questions.

The Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS), one of the Commonwealth’s largest government agencies, is comprised of approximately 2,000 state staff who proudly serve alongside more than 10,000 employees of 120 local departments of social services and community action agencies to deliver critical social services to Virginia’s most vulnerable residents. VDSS is committed to ensuring Virginians have access to the high-quality human services and resources needed to enhance their individual and collective well-being, and shape strong futures for themselves, their families and communities. The agency provides a wide range of services and resources in the areas of food and energy assistance, foster care and adoption, child support, and abuse and neglect prevention.