Indiana Pauses Summer Meals Program Citing Insufficient Planning, $2 Billion Shortfall

Indiana's current administration, led by Gov. Mike Braun and Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith, has attributed the state's decision to opt out of the summer meals program for schoolchildren to insufficient planning by the previous Gov. Eric Holcomb administration. Beckwith stated that the prior administration failed to properly file for SUN Bucks, a program that provided about $80 million last year to 669,000 qualifying children during school closures. The administration cited the $3.7 million oversight costs and a $2 billion state revenue shortfall as additional challenges in funding the program this year. Marcus Barlow, deputy chief of staff for the Family and Social Services Administration, emphasized that the program's successful implementation required early strategic planning and clear leadership direction in late 2024, which was lacking. This lapse, alongside broader budget cuts affecting multiple state agencies, led to the suspension of the summer meals program. The Braun administration is working to recover SUN Bucks funding and improve coordination moving forward.