Children from immigrant families face systemic barriers to accessing public benefits, contributing to an increased risk for food insecurity and negative health, academic, and social outcomes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government authorized states to expand SNAP benefits (e.g., eased eligibility requirements, extended certification periods, etc.) to provide temporary relief for families. With this grant, Zeng and colleagues will use data from the National Survey of Children’s Health and SNAP policy variations across states to conduct a difference-in-differences analysis of changes in food insecurity related to the implementation and expiration of SNAP expansion policies. The team will estimate the impact on food insecurity between children of immigrants and children of U.S.-born parents, as well as between demographic sub-groups of children of immigrants (e.g., race/ethnicity, immigrant generation, and socioeconomic status). Findings will provide policy-relevant insights regarding which features can be incorporated into a more expansive, equitable SNAP program with goal of reducing inequality in food insecurity for children of immigrants in the United States.
How did expansions to state-level Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) programs during the pandemic impact food insecurity for children of immigrants? How did outcomes vary by state and by intersectional demographics?
