Hunger advocates push Indiana to opt in to summer food benefits as deadline nears

The deadline for states to decide whether to participate in SUN Bucks — a federal program that helps provide money for meals during the summer — is approaching, after Indiana opted out of the program last year.

But local groups focused on hunger say the program helped feed hundreds of thousands of children while school was out, and warn students could struggle to eat during the summer if the state doesn’t opt back in before the deadline on January 1. 

More than 660,000 children in Indiana received food assistance through SUNBucks in 2024, before the program was halted in 2025, according to the Indy Hunger Network. 

Mark Lynch, director of advocacy with the Indy Hunger Network, said the program has become more important as the Trump administration moves to restrict federal food assistance.

"When these schools go on summer break, even with the kind of balanced schedule, these students are not getting the nutritious meals they had access to,” Lynch said. 

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In 2024, Indiana participated in the SUNBucks program. But in 2025, Indiana notified the federal oversight agency that it wouldn’t be participating. That didn’t stop the state from participating in future years, according to a letter signed by the deputy director of FSSA. 

Last year, thirteen states opted out of administering SUN Bucks, the Indiana Capital Chronicle reported. But this year, Iowa, one of the states that opted out last year, announced that it’s back in.

Iowa had initially moved towards a program distributing meals to eligible families over the summer, but found that program too complicated to manage. 

That’s exactly why groups in Indiana want the state to opt in — since it’s easy to manage and most of the costs are provided by the federal government. 

Matthew Feltrop, the executive director of A Longer Table, an Indianapolis nonprofit focused on food access for young people, said consistent access to food is critical for kids’ success, and SUNBucks is a low-cost way to help during school breaks.

"It's really unconscionable that we would forego a program that is federally funded that can help kids succeed in their future."

Farrah Anderson is an investigative health reporter with WFYI and Side Effects Public Media. You can follow her on X at @farrahsoa or by email at fanderson@wfyi.org.