Indiana will not participate this year in a federal program that helps families buy food for children during the summer months, when school meals are unavailable.
The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration said the state cannot afford the additional $5 million to $7 million needed to administer the program known as SUN Bucks, citing broader funding gaps in Indiana’s food assistance budget.
In a statement to WFYI, FSSA said that while it would not be participating in the program, “anyone needing additional assistance should contact Indiana 211, as there are specific summer meal assistance programs for kids in the database.”
The decision comes as families across Indiana face tighter limits on food assistance. Changes under President Donald Trump’s One Big, Beautiful Bill Act expanded SNAP work requirements, removed exemptions for unhoused people and veterans, and made it harder for states to waive those rules — narrowing who qualifies for benefits.
At the same time, Indiana is moving forward with its Smart SNAP policy, which will restrict how benefits can be used by barring purchases of sugary drinks and candy starting in 2026.
But state Democrats are challenging FSSA’s explanation on opting out of the SUN Bucks program.
Indiana Senate Democratic Leader Shelli Yoder condemned the decision, pointing to new state revenue forecasts showing a multibillion-dollar surplus. Indiana ended the 2025 fiscal year with $2.5 billion in reserves and a $337 million surplus, far exceeding budget expectations.
“Hoosiers understand budgets. They balance them every month, every day,” Yoder said in a statement.
“And they know that when billions are available in a budget surplus, refusing modest administrative costs to unlock federal dollars that Hoosiers have already paid for through their taxes is not a money problem,” the statement continued. “It is a values problem.”
More than 660,000 children in Indiana received food assistance through SUN Bucks in 2024, according to the Indy Hunger Network. That year, eligible families received a one-time payment of $120 per school-age child.
Indiana was one of 13 states that opted out of the program last year.
Mark Lynch, director of advocacy with the network, said the federal government covers the cost of the food benefits — leaving states responsible only for a share of administrative expenses.
“It’s easy for the state to administer,” Lynch said. “It’s minimal cost for a really big gain.”
Eligibility requirements for Indiana’s SNAP program are available here.
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.
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