In this webinar from the Institute for Research on Poverty, the presenters discussed findings from their new edited volume from Stanford University Press on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps. The presenters discussed issues that included changes in SNAP participation over time and the impact of SNAP on poverty, food security, consumption, health, and obesity.

This webinar, hosted by the National Disability Institute, provides background information and resources on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) time limits and their effects on low-income adults with disabilities.

This testimony before Congress, from a Policy Analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, highlights the importance of accuracy and integrity in school meal programs and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). Each day, the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs provide meals to more than 30 million children, 72% of whom qualify for free or reduced-price meals due to their economic circumstances. WIC provides nutritious foods, counseling on healthy eating, breastfeeding support, and health care referrals to over 8 million low-income women, infants, and children at nutritional risk.

According to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in 2014, 48.1 million people lived in food-insecure households. Food insecurity is defined as having limited access to food because of lack of money or other resources. Food insecure households are more likely to have children, be headed by a single mother, and live below 130 percent of the poverty threshold. This brief spotlight focuses on food insecurity and the importance of food assistance programs for family well-being.

This fact sheet from the Annie E. Casey Foundation presents data from the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM). The SPM measures the impact of various social programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), as well as accounts for the rising costs and other changes that affect a family’s budget.

A recent release from the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) analyzed their newly updated 50-State Policy Tracker, an interactive online tool for comparing safety net policies critical to the economic security of working families. It reveals significant disparities between different states, demonstrating that a person’s state of residence can greatly impact his or her future success. This tool includes data by state among ten critical social programs: child care subsidies, child and dependent care tax credit, Earned Income Tax Credit, family and medical leave, income tax policy, Medicaid/Children’s Health Insurance Program, minimum wage, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and unemployment insurance.

The report from First Focus provides a historical context and lessons learned on two-generation approaches to reducing poverty. The author discusses three policy areas to implement two-generation approaches, including Head Start, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training, and TANF.

The report by Enterprise Community Partners, with funding from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, highlights some of the existing programs and best practices in addressing the nutritional needs of low-income communities. It also provides a series of actionable recommendations that demonstrate how housing providers can serve as a crucial conduit for providing low-income families with access to healthy foods and fostering healthy eating. The goal of this paper is to link the efforts of community developers, affordable housing providers, and other stakeholders and to advance the conversation between the housing and health fields.

The Future of Children at Princeton University and the Brookings Institution released a research report that highlights the causes of food insecurity among children and examines the effectiveness of public policies aimed at addressing this issue.