We are sharing this posting from the Child Welfare League of America.
Administration Continues Changes to SNAP, Harming Millions of Children and Families
In October 2019, the Trump administration posted the third rule change to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) days after the second proposed rule comment period ended. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposed rule would cut program benefits by a total of $4.5 billion and increase hunger and poverty across the nation. The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) strongly opposes this war on children and families—especially those who are deeply impacted by poverty.
This proposed rule on SNAP, Standardization of State Heating and Cooling Standard Utility Allowance (SUA), is another cruel attempt by the Trump administration to limit states ability to provide nutrition support for children and families including those who need food assistance the most. This proposal would cause 19 percent of recipients SNAP payments to be lower disproportionately impact children and families, including relative caregiver families supporting their grandchildren due to the opioid crisis in America.
The U.S. Census Bureau recently released data indicating that nearly 12 million children are still living in poverty in America today. This proposed rule would increase the child poverty rate and exacerbate disparities. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine consensus study, A Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty, and the Census Bureau data shows that millions of children are lifted out of deep poverty each year by SNAP, the single most crucial federal program for reducing child poverty. Almost 49 percent of children who are low-income receive SNAP benefits, and the absence of this poverty-reducing benefit would be devastating. “These Trump Administration policy changes to SNAP and indirectly on school lunch programs, will have a direct effect on child nutrition and low-income families and increase burden for working families,” said Christine James-Brown, CEO and President of Child Welfare League of America.
The CWLA National Blueprint of Excellence in Child Welfare serves as the guiding principle for what is the best interest for children and families. The National Blueprint states that entities and communities should collaborate to ensure that families have access to and eligibility for supports and services that address basic needs, including food, clothing, housing, employment, financial resources, mental health and substance abuse services, education, health care, and transportation. What we know is that access to proper nutrition creates a long-term positive impact on a child’s life. When every child, youth, and family have sufficient food and nutrition, we all benefit.
