Nourishing Futures - Strengthening Child Health Through SNAP 1

This will continue to (BBCE): gives states the ability to address the provide important supports for families with needs of their residents and has afforded low incomes and create more efficiency for access to SNAP for working families across the state and local administrative offices. [...] promote success later in life.25 3) SNAP improves children’s access to 4) SNAP decreases reports of health care and use of preventative child neglect health services, mental health Reports of child maltreatment and neglect often re- SNAP participation helps families afford children’s late to material hardship – the absence of a child’s medical care when needed and reduces delays in most basic need. [...] Families with young children who and medical care.26 SNAP has been shown to mit- participated in SNAP compared to eligible non-par- igate both food insecurity and reduce the risk of ticipants were less likely to report health cost child maltreatment and neglect.26,27 The presence of sacrifices, when families have difficulty affording SNAP-authorized retailers, and thus families’ ability other basi. [...] Children in basic needs for their children, preventing instances families that struggle to afford food have higher of food insecurity and neglect.26 health care utilization and costs.30,36 Food insecurity 5) SNAP participation in childhood was conservatively estimated in 2014 (which re- improves health in adulthood and mains the most current estimate available) to cost keeps adults healthy the US. [...] Decades of re- restrictions that take food away search show strong associations between SNAP and from children and families with improved health outcomes, lower health care costs, low incomes is critically important and a healthier population, from our youngest chil- to protecting the health and well- dren to our senior neighbors and caregivers.