Indiana Omits Summer Program to Feed Hungry Students

Indiana has opted out of a program that provides extra money to families during the summer months when their kids are out of school. The state informed the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in February that it would not be participating in the Summer EBT program for 2025.

Last year, nearly 600,000 Hoosier kids benefited from the program, which provides families with an extra $120 during the summer to help feed their school-aged kids. Devonna Johnson, a mother of two, was one of those families and used the program to help get a variety of food for her kids, including her child with special needs.

“It's really going to hit hard, and I am not really sure, especially with prices of everything, I don't really know how this summer is going to go,” Johnson said.

The program, known as SUN Bucks, provides families who qualify for free or reduced lunch and are eligible for benefits like SNAP or TANF. Mark Lynch, the Director of Advocacy for the Indy Hunger Network, noted that Indiana is one of 12 or 13 states that have opted out of the program.

“It’s really unfortunate. They will not receive the SUN Bucks money, which would allow them to have easier access to healthy, nutritious food during the summer months," Lynch said.

Kelly Ivey, the Executive Director for the George T. Goodwin Community Center, expressed concerns about the impact on organizations that serve low-income families. “65% of our students here in Decatur Township are free and reduced lunch,” she explained. "We've seen about a 30% increase in our food pantry clients in the last couple of months, and we anticipate with losing the funding that it will be even more."

The center provides breakfast and lunch to Hoosiers in need every day, as well as bi-weekly food pantries. Ivey fears that without SUN Bucks, it may become harder for the organization to meet the increased need in the community.

“Anytime that we can't meet a need, it's always hard on us,” Ivey said. "That's where I feel like that our state has to come in and help.”

The Indiana Department of Education and the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) helped launch the federal program in Indiana last year. An FSSA spokesperson stated that when this administration took office, they discovered that the necessary groundwork had not been completed to launch the program in time for this summer.

Families can still access free summer meals at approximately 1,000 locations, including schools and community organizations, through the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program. The Hunger 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.