Our Solution

In 2024, Maryland launched the Maryland SUN Bucks program, which leveraged federal dollars to provide $40 per month for June, July, and August ($120 total) for each eligible child in the State. The program used a more efficient enrollment approach that reduced the administrative burden on families, automatically enrolling 99% of children who received Maryland SUN Bucks. The Moore-Miller Administration’s efforts to expand access and improve data sharing in the summer of 2024 led the state to feed more than half a million children, and local government matching funds were not required.

The Maryland Departments of Human Services, Education, Health, and the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange partnered to share data, combining information from local school systems like Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FARMs) and enrollment in other benefits like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA), and Medicaid. This allowed for seamless approval for children and families to receive SUN Bucks. SUN Bucks benefits were then automatically added to a family’s existing benefits card. For new families, the Department of Human Services mailed SUN Bucks cards to their addresses on file.