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How bad can it get? #COVID-19 & its fallout have caused alarming rates of hardship, particularly food hardship. Millions, including children, are struggling to get enough food. Unfortunately, Congress may break for the fall w/o providing help & even letting it get worse
My colleague @BrynneKJ wrote last week that about 10% of all adults reported that their household sometimes or often didn’t have enough to eat in the last 7 days, according to the latest data. It's worse for people of color. https://www.cbpp.org/blog/food-need-very-high-compared-to-pre-pandemic-levels-making-relief-imperative
This @NewsHour piece did a really good job walking through the problem and illustrating how hard some families have it right now. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/1-in-10-americans-dont-have-enough-food-the-pandemic-is-making-things-worse
That's why anti-hunger orgs around the country have been calling on Congress to respond with extra SNAP Benefits as well as to extend key flexibilities that states had to run federal food programs to respond to COVID environment. Hunger people, especially children, can't wait.
One key COVID response has been #PEBT, an option states have used to issue the value of school meals directly to families whose children are learning remotely. We and @fractweets just released a paper & state fact sheets on how effective its been. https://www.cbpp.org/pebt
Unfortunately, Congress may allow this option to expire at the end of September. That could actually exacerbate food hardship at a time when we need policy makers to be leaning in and responding to the problem. https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/congressional-inaction-exacerbates-hardship
Schools operating remotely are doing their best to feed children who normally eat free and reduced priced meals. But these "grab n' go" programs face serious challenges. #PEBT is the way to go. https://www.texastribune.org/2020/09/11/texas-schools-free-meals/
If Congress fails to act, it fails families and children who are not getting enough to eat, including children in Black & Latino families who are disproportionately suffering the health and econ consequences of #COVID19. #Timetoactisnow
