Policy & Practice | Summer 2024

Partnering to Support the Summer EBT Program F ast & F ar going

By Regis Whaley and Chloe Eberhardt

You are likely to have heard this old proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” But what do you do when you need to go fast and far?

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his was the challenge before the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), states, territories, and Tribes. In the span of only 18 months, USDA and agencies needed to launch the new Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) program, the first permanent federal childhood program in decades. Summer EBT, also known as SUN Bucks, provides households with $120 of grocery benefits per eligible child during the summer months to offset the loss of access to free and reduced-price school meals. Summer EBT is the result of a successful pilot program from USDA and years of sustained efforts from antihunger advocates.