2026 Policy Priorities

Summer should not be synonymous with hunger for Kansas kids. Unfortunately, when school is out for the session, many children lose access to the reliable meals they count on during the year. Children who experience food insecurity over the summer are more likely to lose academic ground. Consistent nutrition supports attention, memory, and emotional regulation, which are all critical for learning when school resumes. Sun BUCKS is one of the most effective ways to fill that gap by helping families with groceries when school is out. Approximately 127,000 Kansas kids participated in the SUN Bucks program in 2024. The total summer benefit is $120 per child. Therefore, the estimated economic impact of the SUN Bucks program in Kansas in the summer of 2024 was up to $22,860,000.

Sun BUCKS is one of the strongest tools we have to reach kids who lose regular access to meals when school is out, yet tens of thousands of eligible Kansas children are being missed because outdated state systems do not communicate across agencies. This gap makes it difficult to automatically identify many children who qualify through Medicaid. With deeper investment in system alignment and secure data sharing, Kansas can ensure that every eligible child is reached. Improving this infrastructure is a practical way to reduce summer hunger, support families, and help more kids start the school year healthy and ready to learn. The impact would be significant: more than $7 million dollars would flow into Kansas each year, strengthening family budgets, supporting local grocery stores, and keeping more food dollars circulating in our communities.

School meals are one of the most effective and efficient tools Kansas has to reduce childhood hunger. Policies like the Community Eligibility Provision allow schools to serve more students with less paperwork, less stigma, and greater consistency. In many communities, the school cafeteria is the largest restaurant in town, providing the dependable nutrition students need to focus, learn, and thrive. Strengthening school feeding programs improves attendance and academic performance while easing pressure on family budgets. Legislative support for these policies brings additional federal dollars into Kansas schools and communities, helping local economies and ensuring that every child has the nutrition they need to succeed.