SNAP FIGHTS CHILDHOOD HUNGER AND POVERTY

SNAP provides more than 20 million children with critical nutrition benefits to strengthen their food security and provide access to a nutritious diet. Nearly half of every SNAP dollar goes to hungry children.

·    1 in 5 children in the United States was food insecure in 2012. Hunger did not increase dramatically during the recession due to the help of programs like SNAP.

·    USDA reports that nearly half of all SNAP households include children, and these households receive 69.2% of all SNAP benefits.

·    SNAP helps families access healthy food and gives parents the ability to feed their children. Households with children are far more likely to be food insecure (20%) as households with no children (11.9%).

·    In 2009, USDA found that SNAP benefits reduced the depth of child poverty by 20.9% and the severity of child poverty by 27.5%.

Source: First Focus, 9/12/13, SNAP & Kids