Policy: Food Security

What We Know about Food Security

• 62% of all eligible children are enrolled in the SNAP program nationally.
• Of the five states with the lowest SNAP enrollment rates, three of them (California, Rhode Island, and Wyoming) have households with food insecurity rates that are at or above the national average.
• Nationally, 84% of schools who serve lunch also serve breakfast.

States can help families access vital food programs by how they implement various federal food and nutrition safety net programs. They can conduct outreach and enrollment efforts that sign eligible children up for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly called food stamps), encourage schools to participate in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program, and facilitate family enrollment into the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, commonly referred to as WIC. When developing policies to end homelessness among children and families, states should make every effort to increase enrollment in these nutrition programs since participation may make the difference between a family’s ability to pay for housing costs or fall behind and end up homeless.

Residential instability (e.g., homelessness or frequent moves) and low enrollment in SNAP are two of the main factors associated with lower rates of food security nationally.¹²⁹

• Nationally, 62% of all eligible children are enrolled in the SNAP program.
• The lowest rates of SNAP participation among eligible children are in California (46%), Wyoming (48%), Massachusetts (49%), New Jersey (50%), and Rhode Island (52%).
• Of these five states, three of them (California, Rhode Island, and Wyoming) have households with food insecurity rates that are at or above the national average.
• Missouri has the highest rate of SNAP enrollment among eligible families at 84%, followed by Tennessee and Oregon (83%), Maine (77%), and West Virginia (76%).

For many children facing food insecurity, eating breakfast at school through the School Breakfast Program offers respite from worries about hunger. Children who eat breakfast at school tend to consume more fruits and drink more milk. Breakfast also improves test scores, reduces discipline and psychological problems, decreases visits to the nurse’s office, and improves student attentiveness and attendance.¹³⁰

• Nationally, 84% of schools who serve lunch also serve breakfast.
• Connecticut has the lowest rate of schools participating in the school breakfast program (55%), followed by Wisconsin (58%), Ohio (62%), New Jersey (63%), and Alaska (64%).
• In 25 states, 90% or more of schools participate in the School Breakfast Program. Florida and South Carolina lead the nation, with 99% of schools serving school breakfast.