Barbara Devaney, Laura Kalb, Ronette Briefel, Teresa Zavitsky-Novak, Nancy Clusen, Paula Ziegler, authors. Features articles related to this study that Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. conducted for Gerber. The Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS) provides a wealth of data on the food and nutrient intakes, background characteristics, growth and development milestones, and feeding patterns and transitions for a nationally representative sample of infants and toddlers.

Authored by Carole Trippe, Liz Schott, Nancy Wemmerus, and Andrew Berwick. This study examines the experiences of four States--Arizona, Louisiana, Missouri, and Ohio--that use the simplified reporting option of the Food Stamp Program; Arizona also uses the transitional benefit option. States reported reduced staff workload, improved client access, and reduced quality control errors with simplified reporting but faced some operational challenges that made realizing the option's full potential difficult.

Authored by Anne Gordon, Heather Hartline-Grafton, and Renee Nogales. Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides supplemental food, nutrition education, and health and social service referrals to low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, as well as to infants and children younger than five. This study describes a range of innovative practices at 20 State or local WIC agencies focusing on breastfeeding promotion and support, nutrition and health education, and service delivery. For each program, the report provides background information and discusses the source of the innovation, key challenges, implementation lessons learned, evidence of success, and the feasibility of replication.

Authored by Craig Gundersen, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Iowa State University; Dean Jolliffe, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service; and Laura Tiehen, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. This report, as part of the Working Paper Series of the National Poverty Center (NPC), explores variation in State policies and data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) to analyze food insecurity rates between Food Stamp program participants and non-participants.

This resource, through Mathematica Policy Research, reviews State food stamp participation rates to measure the effectiveness of the food stamp program and the program's ability to reach its target population.

This article, through the Urban Institute, reviews information on the Food Stamp Program, which provided $200 a month on average to participating households during fiscal year 2004. However, many eligible families do not enroll in the program. The authors summarize the effectiveness of 18 local outreach projects to reach out to those who do not apply for the program through technology and partnerships.

This year, the food stamp program is currently serving 25 million people across the country. This represents an increase of 8 million participants since 2000. This article from the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities reviews reasons for such growth and implications for the future.

This article reviews the effectiveness of the food stamp program by assessing the extent to which the program can reach its target population. In 2004, 38 million people were eligible for food stamps in any given month, and only 23 million participated in the program. Participation rates were higher among lower income families and among families on TANF and SSI, following past trends.

This issue brief outlines the demographics of the 45,000 low-income households receiving food stamps in Washington, D.C. Additionally, the Urban Institute reviewed the average distance between the clients' households to the closest supermarket, concluding that the most affordable options may no be the most accessible to low-income neighborhoods.

The Boston Medical Center conducted this research to identify if the nutritional needs of low-income families are being met by food stamps. In Boston, low-income families on food stamps are unable to afford the variety of foods required for a healthy, balanced diet.