Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has announced state SNAP recipients with children will get extra benefits in summer 2026.
Reynolds said Iowa would rejoin the SUN Bucks food assistance program which it had opted out of for the previous two summers in favor of its own scheme.
Why It Matters
Hundreds of thousands of Iowans rely on food assistance, and families with children make up the majority of those households. With school meals unavailable during the summer months, additional grocery support can play a key role in helping families bridge the gap while also shaping how states balance access, nutrition and oversight in public benefit programs.
About 259,300 Iowa residents—roughly 8 percent of the state’s population, or around one in 12 people—currently receive benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Nearly two-thirds of those recipients, around 65 percent, are families with children.
What To Know
Governor Kim Reynolds has announced that Iowa will rejoin SUN Bucks, also known as Summer EBT, for summer 2026. The federal program provides eligible families with extra money on an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card to help buy groceries for children when school is out and free or reduced-price meals are not available…