Indiana will again not opt in to a program that provides grocery benefits to low-income families with young children over the summer.
The SUN Bucks program, also known as Summer EBT, gave families a monthly sum of $120 per child for food while schools were closed.
According to the USDA, the program fed over 660,000 Hoosier children during the one year it was offered in 2024. Indiana opted out last year.
Indiana Family and Social Services Administration Secretary Mitch Roob said Indiana will again opt out in 2026, as the state would need an additional $5-7 million dollars to administer the program.
The announcement comes as new rules for SNAP go into effect in Indiana. Recipients of the food aid program can no longer use benefits to purchase candy, sugary drinks, and snack food like kettle corn and fruit strips.
