Families in New Mexico now have access to the SUN Bucks program, designed to aid in purchasing groceries during the summer months when children are home from school. "This program will help ease the burden of rising food costs while children are home from school over the summer," said Secretary Kari Armijo of the New Mexico Health Care Authority. She emphasized that summer should be a time of joy rather than worry about meals.
The initiative provides $120 for each eligible school-aged child between ages 5 and 18, targeting continued access to nutritious food when school is out. Most families will qualify automatically without needing to take any actions. "SUN Bucks will help bridge the gap for families with children by providing critical support during the summer months," noted Secretary Mariana Padilla of the New Mexico Public Education Department, insisting that every child deserves access to nutritious food regardless of the season.
SUN Bucks supplements free meals available at summer meal sites by stretching grocery budgets. The New Mexico Health Care Authority estimates that over 271,000 K-12 students will benefit, delivering $32.5 million in total financial relief to families across the state.
Children qualify automatically if they have received free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch or Breakfast Programs, if they are reported by their school as homeless, migrant, or in foster care, or if they received SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF during the school year. Eligible families will receive mail notifications requiring no further action.
Benefit distribution begins May 21, 2025, with additional dates to follow for late applications. Families have up to 122 days to utilize the benefits. All eligible children in a household will receive benefits on a single card in the name of the oldest child. Cards from the previous year will be reloaded, and replacement cards can be obtained by contacting the Customer Service Center at 1-800-283-4465.
For those not automatically eligible, applications are open to students attending schools that participate in the National School Lunch or Breakfast Programs, assuming their household income is below 185% of the federal poverty line and they reside in New Mexico. Applications must be submitted by August 19, 2025, either online or via mail to the New Mexico Public Education Department.
For further details, visit the Health Care Authority's website.
SUN Bucks underscores its commitment to equitable communication access, offering information in English and Spanish and interpretation services in 58 languages through CTS Language Link. Relay New Mexico supports hearing and speech-impaired customers to ensure equal telephone communication access.
