As the cost of living in the U.S. has gone up, government subsidies to help people pay for basics have disappeared one-by-one. Up next on the chopping block: Emergency allotments of a food-assistance program that supports 30 million Americans in 32 states.
Enhanced benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, will end in February, meaning families and individuals will get at least $95 less per month, with some seeing cuts of $250 a month or more.
Households with kids will, on average, lose out on an extra $223 each month, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan research and policy institute.
Jonathan Weiss, Dreamstime/TNS
Enhanced benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which played a key role in relieving poverty during the COVID-19 pandemic, will end this month.
As of early February, New Jersey was the only state that had plans to top up benefits for its residents as the federal program winds down.
Through SNAP, low-income families and individuals receive cash benefits loaded onto a card that can be used to buy groceries at authorized stores. The cuts will hit as inflation continues to send food prices in the U.S. to new highs. Though there are signs that inflation has peaked, food prices were up 10.1% in January from a year ago.
“Right now people are really up against it,” said Ellen Vollinger, SNAP director at the Food Research & Action Center, an anti-hunger advocacy group. “There’s not a lot of cushion to absorb this.”
Americans have slowly seen pandemic-era benefits disappear over the last year and a half. A few months after expanded unemployment benefits ended, extended child tax credits went away, too. Officials cut universal free school lunch got cut last fall.
Next month, families receiving benefits under the Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC, program, will no longer be able to use waivers to buy baby formula from different manufacturers, instead of just the one their state is contracted with.
All this has hit low-income Americans, who rely most on government support, particularly hard just as the price of just about everything has spiked in the last year.
“There aren’t more corners to cut,” said Cee Williams, a 45-year-old from the Bronx, New York, whose SNAP benefits will shrink in March.
The consultant and graduate student said the $260 a month she got from the program helped subsidize groceries so she could afford her medical expenses. In February, she got an automated text from her benefits administrator saying to expect less next month. She’s still waiting for more details on how much less she’ll get.
“I’m just going to eat less food, honestly,” she said.
A bounty of government cash helped alleviate economic inequality in the U.S. during the early years of the pandemic.
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Americans are losing key food subsidy as prices get higher
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Of the nearly 1 million child care workers in the United States, my colleagues and I found in a recent white paper that 31.2%—basically one out of every three—experienced food insecurity in 2020, the latest year for which we analyzed data. Food insecurity means there is a lack of consistent access to enough food. This rate of food insecurity is anywhere from eight to 20 percentage points higher than the national average.
In Washington and Texas, one study found 42% of child care workers experienced food insecurity, with 20% of child care workers experiencing very high food insecurity. High food insecurity is when a person reports reduced quality and variety of diet. Very high food insecurity occurs when a person reports disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake.
Another study in Arkansas found that 40% of child care workers experienced food insecurity.
Effects of food insecurity
People who are food insecure are at increased chances of being in poor health, with conditions like hypertension, diabetes, asthma, arthritis, and depression, among other chronic diseases and health conditions.
Low wages and food insecurity may contribute to child care workers’ high stress levels. When child care workers experience stress, they tend to reduce the amount of positive attention to children and increase their punitive responses to children’s challenging behavior.
Causes of food insecurity
Overall, child care workers’ wages are low, with the median hourly wage being $12.24 per hour. This means child care workers make little more than fast-food workers, whose median pay is $11.64 per hour. What child care workers make is not considered a living wage.
Low wages meant more than 53% of child care workers from 2014 to 2016 received public assistance, including Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. This compares with the 21% of elementary and middle school teachers who received public assistance in that period. When so many child care workers rely on public assistance, it reveals how many of them don’t make enough money to get by.
Nearly all U.S. child care workers are women, and half are people of color. This workforce is central to providing high-quality early childhood education to children up to 5 years old.
Early childhood researchers and policymakers have focused on increasing the education and training of the child care workforce to bolster quality. The Center for the Study of Child Care Employment recommends that lead teachers, the primary teachers in early childhood classrooms who are responsible for the day-to-day management of a classroom, at least have a bachelor’s degree and that assistant teachers at least have a child development associate certificate or equivalent. Despite the fact that the more education child care workers have the higher-quality care they deliver, many states require only a high school diploma or equivalent, and some states do not have any education requirements for entry-level positions.
On average, child care workers who have a bachelor’s degree do make more than those who don’t. However, going to college doesn’t pay off as much for child care workers as it does for those in other fields. Child care workers with a bachelor’s degree average $14.70 per hour, which is just under half the average earnings overall of those with a bachelor’s degree—$27 per hour.
It’s one thing to expect child care workers to get more education to become better at what they do. But it is also important to ensure that additional education pays off.
Policymakers have recently focused on child care workers’ wages. For example, the Build Back Better legislation would raise payment rates to meet the cost of care for children from birth to 5 years old. The cost of care would include wages.
Canva
Of the nearly 1 million child care workers in the United States, my colleagues and I found in a recent white paper that 31.2%—basically one out of every three—experienced food insecurity in 2020, the latest year for which we analyzed data. Food insecurity means there is a lack of consistent access to enough food. This rate of food insecurity is anywhere from eight to 20 percentage points higher than the national average.
In Washington and Texas, one study found 42% of child care workers experienced food insecurity, with 20% of child care workers experiencing very high food insecurity. High food insecurity is when a person reports reduced quality and variety of diet. Very high food insecurity occurs when a person reports disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake.
Another study in Arkansas found that 40% of child care workers experienced food insecurity.
Effects of food insecurity
People who are food insecure are at increased chances of being in poor health, with conditions like hypertension, diabetes, asthma, arthritis, and depression, among other chronic diseases and health conditions.
Low wages and food insecurity may contribute to child care workers’ high stress levels. When child care workers experience stress, they tend to reduce the amount of positive attention to children and increase their punitive responses to children’s challenging behavior.
Causes of food insecurity
Overall, child care workers’ wages are low, with the median hourly wage being $12.24 per hour. This means child care workers make little more than fast-food workers, whose median pay is $11.64 per hour. What child care workers make is not considered a living wage.
Low wages meant more than 53% of child care workers from 2014 to 2016 received public assistance, including Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. This compares with the 21% of elementary and middle school teachers who received public assistance in that period. When so many child care workers rely on public assistance, it reveals how many of them don’t make enough money to get by.
Nearly all U.S. child care workers are women, and half are people of color. This workforce is central to providing high-quality early childhood education to children up to 5 years old.
Early childhood researchers and policymakers have focused on increasing the education and training of the child care workforce to bolster quality. The Center for the Study of Child Care Employment recommends that lead teachers, the primary teachers in early childhood classrooms who are responsible for the day-to-day management of a classroom, at least have a bachelor’s degree and that assistant teachers at least have a child development associate certificate or equivalent. Despite the fact that the more education child care workers have the higher-quality care they deliver, many states require only a high school diploma or equivalent, and some states do not have any education requirements for entry-level positions.
On average, child care workers who have a bachelor’s degree do make more than those who don’t. However, going to college doesn’t pay off as much for child care workers as it does for those in other fields. Child care workers with a bachelor’s degree average $14.70 per hour, which is just under half the average earnings overall of those with a bachelor’s degree—$27 per hour.
It’s one thing to expect child care workers to get more education to become better at what they do. But it is also important to ensure that additional education pays off.
Policymakers have recently focused on child care workers’ wages. For example, the Build Back Better legislation would raise payment rates to meet the cost of care for children from birth to 5 years old. The cost of care would include wages.
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Snarled supply chain leads to less nutritious meals at some US schools
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Photo Credit: addkm / Shutterstock
The COVID-19 pandemic created economic hardship for millions of Americans. With the onset of the pandemic in the spring of 2020, the U.S. unemployment rate spiked to 14.8%, and while many jobs quickly returned, millions of workers—many of whom previously worked in lower-wage positions—are still unable to find work or have dropped out of the workforce. Despite robust government efforts to provide relief to households, many families have struggled to meet their basic needs throughout the pandemic, with more ripple effects possible as a result.
One example is food insecurity, a condition defined by the disruption of food intake or eating patterns typically due to a lack of economic resources. Because households need money to obtain an adequate, nutritious supply of food, unemployment is a major factor that contributes to food insecurity. And with the heightened unemployment seen as a result of the pandemic, up to 42 million Americans could face food insecurity at some point this year, according to a report from Feeding America.
Food insecurity is more than a consequence of economic hard times: it is also associated with a variety of health conditions. For one, food insecurity correlates strongly with obesity, as many food insecure individuals are less likely to access or afford fresh, nutritious foods and instead rely more heavily on highly processed items. Chronic disease is also exacerbated by food insecurity, particularly conditions like diabetes, hypertension, or heart disease that are highly affected by diet. And in children, who are one of the most food-insecure populations, poor or inconsistent diets due to food scarcity can contribute to developmental problems.
Food scarcity’s effects on health also extend to mental and emotional wellbeing. This has been particularly true during the pandemic, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, which surveys U.S. adults on a variety of social and economic indicators each week. Nearly 40% of those who reported that they had sometimes or often not had enough to eat in the prior week also indicated that they felt nervous, anxious, or on edge nearly every day. Further, 35% of those facing food scarcity reported that they were unable to stop or control worrying nearly every day.
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Photo Credit: addkm / Shutterstock
The COVID-19 pandemic created economic hardship for millions of Americans. With the onset of the pandemic in the spring of 2020, the U.S. unemployment rate spiked to 14.8%, and while many jobs quickly returned, millions of workers—many of whom previously worked in lower-wage positions—are still unable to find work or have dropped out of the workforce. Despite robust government efforts to provide relief to households, many families have struggled to meet their basic needs throughout the pandemic, with more ripple effects possible as a result.
One example is food insecurity, a condition defined by the disruption of food intake or eating patterns typically due to a lack of economic resources. Because households need money to obtain an adequate, nutritious supply of food, unemployment is a major factor that contributes to food insecurity. And with the heightened unemployment seen as a result of the pandemic, up to 42 million Americans could face food insecurity at some point this year, according to a report from Feeding America.
Food insecurity is more than a consequence of economic hard times: it is also associated with a variety of health conditions. For one, food insecurity correlates strongly with obesity, as many food insecure individuals are less likely to access or afford fresh, nutritious foods and instead rely more heavily on highly processed items. Chronic disease is also exacerbated by food insecurity, particularly conditions like diabetes, hypertension, or heart disease that are highly affected by diet. And in children, who are one of the most food-insecure populations, poor or inconsistent diets due to food scarcity can contribute to developmental problems.
Food scarcity’s effects on health also extend to mental and emotional wellbeing. This has been particularly true during the pandemic, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, which surveys U.S. adults on a variety of social and economic indicators each week. Nearly 40% of those who reported that they had sometimes or often not had enough to eat in the prior week also indicated that they felt nervous, anxious, or on edge nearly every day. Further, 35% of those facing food scarcity reported that they were unable to stop or control worrying nearly every day.
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Snarled supply chain leads to less nutritious meals at some US schools
And some populations are disproportionately affected by food insecurity when compared to others. One strongly correlated factor is race and ethnicity. Nearly one in five black Americans (19.4%) reported facing food scarcity, with 17.2% of Hispanic Americans and 16.2% of multiracial Americans. In contrast, only 7.2% of White Americans are food insecure, while Asians fare best of all at 6.1%. Disparities are even starker by educational attainment: more than a quarter (25.8%) of Americans who have not completed high school reported food insecurity during the pandemic, compared to 14.1% of those who hold a high school diploma or GED and a mere 3.3% of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher.
And some populations are disproportionately affected by food insecurity when compared to others. One strongly correlated factor is race and ethnicity. Nearly one in five black Americans (19.4%) reported facing food scarcity, with 17.2% of Hispanic Americans and 16.2% of multiracial Americans. In contrast, only 7.2% of White Americans are food insecure, while Asians fare best of all at 6.1%. Disparities are even starker by educational attainment: more than a quarter (25.8%) of Americans who have not completed high school reported food insecurity during the pandemic, compared to 14.1% of those who hold a high school diploma or GED and a mere 3.3% of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher.
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Snarled supply chain leads to less nutritious meals at some US schools
Because of food insecurity’s links to other population characteristics, some locations have a higher concentration of food insecure residents than others. Most of the states with the highest rates of food insecurity are located in the South, where the Black population is larger, educational attainment rates are lower, and residents face high levels of poverty and unemployment. The South accounts for nine of the top 10 states with the most food scarcity and 12 of the top 15.
To determine the states with the most residents facing food scarcity, researchers at Commodity.com calculated the percentage of adults in households where there was either sometimes or often not enough to eat, averaged over all available weeks of the Household Pulse Survey. As such, the data represents the typical percentage of adults facing food scarcity at any given point in time during the pandemic, not the cumulative number of people ever facing food scarcity. In the event of a tie, the state with the higher average number of adults facing food scarcity was ranked higher. Researchers also gathered data on poverty and unemployment rates for each of the top states.
Here are the states with the most residents facing food scarcity.
Because of food insecurity’s links to other population characteristics, some locations have a higher concentration of food insecure residents than others. Most of the states with the highest rates of food insecurity are located in the South, where the Black population is larger, educational attainment rates are lower, and residents face high levels of poverty and unemployment. The South accounts for nine of the top 10 states with the most food scarcity and 12 of the top 15.
To determine the states with the most residents facing food scarcity, researchers at Commodity.com calculated the percentage of adults in households where there was either sometimes or often not enough to eat, averaged over all available weeks of the Household Pulse Survey. As such, the data represents the typical percentage of adults facing food scarcity at any given point in time during the pandemic, not the cumulative number of people ever facing food scarcity. In the event of a tie, the state with the higher average number of adults facing food scarcity was ranked higher. Researchers also gathered data on poverty and unemployment rates for each of the top states.
Here are the states with the most residents facing food scarcity.
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Snarled supply chain leads to less nutritious meals at some US schools
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Photo Credit: Victor Moussa / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 10.9%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 1,426,103
- Poverty rate: 13.0%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 10.0%
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Photo Credit: Victor Moussa / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 10.9%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 1,426,103
- Poverty rate: 13.0%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 10.0%
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Snarled supply chain leads to less nutritious meals at some US schools
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Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 11.1%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 522,885
- Poverty rate: 13.9%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 7.5%
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Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 11.1%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 522,885
- Poverty rate: 13.9%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 7.5%
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Snarled supply chain leads to less nutritious meals at some US schools
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Photo Credit: Jonny Trego / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 11.3%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 341,658
- Poverty rate: 16.3%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 6.6%
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Photo Credit: Jonny Trego / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 11.3%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 341,658
- Poverty rate: 16.3%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 6.6%
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Snarled supply chain leads to less nutritious meals at some US schools
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Photo Credit: stellamc / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 11.3%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 163,444
- Poverty rate: 18.2%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 8.4%
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Photo Credit: stellamc / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 11.3%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 163,444
- Poverty rate: 18.2%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 8.4%
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Snarled supply chain leads to less nutritious meals at some US schools
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Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 11.4%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 142,045
- Poverty rate: 16.0%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 8.3%
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Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 11.4%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 142,045
- Poverty rate: 16.0%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 8.3%
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Snarled supply chain leads to less nutritious meals at some US schools
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Photo Credit: f11photo / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 11.7%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 420,756
- Poverty rate: 13.8%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 6.2%
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Photo Credit: f11photo / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 11.7%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 420,756
- Poverty rate: 13.8%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 6.2%
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Snarled supply chain leads to less nutritious meals at some US schools
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Photo Credit: Galina Savina / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 11.8%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 1,796,424
- Poverty rate: 12.7%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 7.7%
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Photo Credit: Galina Savina / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 11.8%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 1,796,424
- Poverty rate: 12.7%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 7.7%
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Snarled supply chain leads to less nutritious meals at some US schools
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Photo Credit: Kevin Hearn / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 11.9%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 315,640
- Poverty rate: 15.2%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 6.1%
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Photo Credit: Kevin Hearn / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 11.9%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 315,640
- Poverty rate: 15.2%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 6.1%
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Snarled supply chain leads to less nutritious meals at some US schools
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Photo Credit: Luciano Mortula-LGM / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 12.0%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 847,635
- Poverty rate: 13.3%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 6.5%
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Photo Credit: Luciano Mortula-LGM / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 12.0%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 847,635
- Poverty rate: 13.3%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 6.5%
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Snarled supply chain leads to less nutritious meals at some US schools
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Photo Credit: Virrage Images / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 12.1%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 262,158
- Poverty rate: 12.5%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 12.8%
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Photo Credit: Virrage Images / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 12.1%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 262,158
- Poverty rate: 12.5%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 12.8%
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Snarled supply chain leads to less nutritious meals at some US schools
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Photo Credit: Trong Nguyen / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 12.5%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 251,179
- Poverty rate: 16.2%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 6.1%
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Photo Credit: Trong Nguyen / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 12.5%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 251,179
- Poverty rate: 16.2%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 6.1%
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Snarled supply chain leads to less nutritious meals at some US schools
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Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 12.9%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 426,266
- Poverty rate: 15.5%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 5.9%
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Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 12.9%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 426,266
- Poverty rate: 15.5%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 5.9%
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Snarled supply chain leads to less nutritious meals at some US schools
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Photo Credit: D Guest Smith / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 13.0%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 2,484,208
- Poverty rate: 13.6%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 7.6%
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Photo Credit: D Guest Smith / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 13.0%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 2,484,208
- Poverty rate: 13.6%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 7.6%
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Snarled supply chain leads to less nutritious meals at some US schools
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Photo Credit: evenfh / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 14.6%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 441,907
- Poverty rate: 19.0%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 8.3%
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Photo Credit: evenfh / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 14.6%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 441,907
- Poverty rate: 19.0%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 8.3%
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Snarled supply chain leads to less nutritious meals at some US schools
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Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 15.4%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 299,575
- Poverty rate: 19.6%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 8.1%
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Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
- Percentage of adults facing food scarcity: 15.4%
- Total adults facing food scarcity: 299,575
- Poverty rate: 19.6%
- 2020 average unemployment rate: 8.1%
A 2022 study found that the emergency allotments kept 4.2 million people above the poverty line in the last quarter of 2021, cutting poverty by 10%. Declines were highest for Black and Latino Americans, both populations that typically have higher rates of food insecurity. Almost 4 million children were lifted out of poverty because of monthly payments to families.
As that government stimulus disappeared, poverty and food insecurity rebounded. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau showed that 11.2% of adults said they sometimes or often didn’t have enough to eat in January, compared to 9.8% in April and May 2020.
Separate figures from the Urban Institute estimate roughly one in five U.S. adults experienced food insecurity in the middle of 2022 when inflation peaked, rebounding to the share reported during the early days of the pandemic.
In 18 states, enhanced SNAP benefits already expired, offering a preview of what’s to come nationwide. Propel, a tech company that surveys SNAP users monthly, found that those living in states without the extra benefits were more likely to skip meals, eat less or rely on others for food than those that still had the boost in place.
A January survey of 4,100 SNAP recipients across the country found that 23% had visited a food pantry and 29% had skipped meals in the last month, both increases from December.
More money spent on food leaves less for other basics, which can hit children, people who are disabled and the elderly particularly hard.
“It’s not just their food money. Now they’re going to take it out of their medicine money, or their heating, or their electrical bills,” said Beth Shapiro, executive director of Citymeals on Wheels, a nonprofit that delivers meals to elderly New Yorkers. “It becomes a real health issue.”
