POLICY CHANGES COULD REDUCE CHILDREN’S FOOD INSECURITY

Replacing the maximum SNAP allotment with a benefit that reflects the real cost of a healthy diet, expanding WIC eligibility to age 6, and maintaining the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the National School Lunch (NSLP) and Breakfast Programs (SBP) may effectively address the needs of many families who experience food insecurity and increase access to healthy options, according to a new policy brief released by Children's HealthWatch. Using simulation modeling techniques, researchers looked at three policy changes currently being debated in Congress. By replacing the Thrifty Food Plan with the Low-Cost Plan, they found that 5.3% of SNAP-participant families with children who are currently food insecure would become fully food secure over the course of one year. If WIC’s age eligibility rose to 6, food insecurity among WIC-eligible 5-year-olds and their families would drop by 1.5% reduction; this means 13,208 families would become fully food secure in the first year of the study.

Source: Children’s Health Watch,  10/10/16, Children's Food Insecurity