Florida had one more chance to opt into a federal summer food benefits program for 2025, after missing the first deadline last August.
The program, known as Sun Bucks, is designed to work in tandem with other food-based benefits like SNAP and WIC. In states that participate, parents can receive pre-loaded cards with $120 per eligible child in grocery assistance over the summer when school-provided and reduced-cost meals are less available.
But on Jan. 1, state officials missed the final deadline to draw Sun Bucks funds this year.
Opting into the program would not have been binding; states that don’t ultimately administer the program aren’t penalized, according to the Food Research and Action Center.
This is the second year in a row Florida chose not to participate, a decision that frustrated Sky Beard, Florida director of No Kid Hungry.
“A policy such as Sun Bucks really allows states to piece together many solutions that are complementary to each other … and when there’s a solution, we surely want to be able to accept that solution,” Beard said.
In 2024, Florida was one of 13 Republican-led states that turned down the federal aid to help feed children. It’s estimated that 2.1 million children would have benefitted from the assistance last year. In total, nearly 3 million people in Florida are facing food insecurity, according to Feeding America.
Sun Bucks has been proven to reduce hunger and "increase consumption of whole grains, fruits and vegetables," according to a report by the Florida Policy Institute citing USDA findings.
“I would be able to purchase more fresh foods, or healthy alternatives. I would also not have to worry about not having enough food to get through the week," a mother living near Tampa said in a 2024 survey by No Kid Hungry.
In response to a question about what an unlimited grocery budget would mean to your family, another respondent said, "I would buy the healthiest food available for my family, cook at home more frequently, and model healthy food habits more consistently.”
Florida officials have defended the decision to opt out of Sun Bucks.
Mallory McManus, the deputy chief of staff for Florida's Department of Children and Families, which administers other federal food benefits in the state, said in an emailed statement last year that "federal programs ... inherently always come with some federal strings attached."
"As a state, we are dedicated to making sure children have access to nutritious meals. This takes a whole of government approach that includes free and reduced lunch programs at school, providing SNAP benefits to families who qualify and through summer break spot programs administered by [Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services] ... Over the past ten years, these programs have been remarkably successful," she said.
This month, some states like Alabama changed course and opted into the Sun Bucks program for 2025.
After a consequential hurricane season in Florida, Beard was hoping state leaders might do the same.
Millions of Floridians lost power or dealt with flooding after back-to-back hurricanes hit the state's west coast last fall. For families that were already struggling to afford groceries, the damage has made it even harder to put food on the table.
"Food spoiling and being able to replenish everything in your refrigerator … if you are already doing everything you can to feed your family and barely getting by, that is, that is not a helpful situation," said Beard.
With Florida refusing to expand federally funded food assistance in 2025, Beard said she expects a continued reliance on nonprofits and food banks from families facing food insecurity.
Gabriella Paul covers the stories of people living paycheck to paycheck in the greater Tampa Bay region for WUSF. She's also a Report for America corps member. Here’s how you can share your story with her.
