Resource Library

This resource looks at how schools can play an important role in connecting families with SNAP, possible partnerships for SNAP outreach, SNAP outreach strategies for schools to implement, and spotlights on how a few states are conducting SNAP outreach efforts in schools.

A new Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) analysis of U.S. Department of Agriculture Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Quality Control data finds that national participation in SNAP among U.S. citizen children in households with a non-citizen dropped by 22.5 percent — more than 718,000 children — from fiscal years 2018–2019 (latest available data).

This brief explains how states have provided vital food assistance for noncitizens with legal status who are not eligible for SNAP due to their immigration status.

This report analyzes national and state participation in the Afterschool Nutrition Programs in October 2019 when compared to participation in October 2018.

Households in rural counties (14.4%) participate in SNAP more often than those located in small town counties (13.8%) and metropolitan counties (11.3%), according to FRAC analysis. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the nation’s first line of defense against hunger and a key weapon for assisting low-income Americans and low-income communities.

The report focuses on total meals served in April 2020 in the school and out-of-school time nutrition programs to explore the impact of COVID-19 on school, summer, and afterschool meals program operations. It also analyzes the reach of free and reduced-price meals to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on low-income children.

This is a graphic of our SNAP asks to share on social

FRAC has developed a communications toolkit to help spread the word about the promising growth in afterschool nutrition participation. The toolkit includes our new report, our national news release, a sample news release, sample social media, and graphics.

USDA’s proposed rule on SNAP Standardization of State Heating and Cooling Standard Utility Allowances (SUAs) would cut program benefits by a total of $4.5 billion over five years. Use these graphics to spread the word on how this cut would result from changes in how states take households’ utility costs into account in determining the amount of SNAP benefits for which they qualify.

FRAC’s report on participation data in the Afterschool Nutrition Programs measures how many children had access to afterschool suppers and snacks in October 2018, nationally and in each state. The Afterschool Supper Program served 1.3 million children on an average weekday in October 2018, an increase of 10.4 percent, or 126,393 children, from October 2017.

States can elect to stagger issuance of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits throughout the month, instead of issuing SNAP benefits for all SNAP households on the same day or couple of days of the month. Benefits are still issued once a month for each household, but not all households receive their benefits on the first day or couple of days of the month.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) serves as the first line of defense against hunger. The Trump administration’s proposed rule – Revision of Categorical Eligibility in SNAP – would take away SNAP’s critical food assistance from 3 million people who are struggling to make ends meet, and could prevent 500,000 children from receiving healthy school meals.

Spread the word on social media using these graphics:

State agencies should adopt processes to allow for telephonic signatures for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applications and recertifications for use by state agency staff and third-party partners, such as community-based organizations that are contracted to help clients apply or recertify for SNAP.

Work with the state agency to create a standard medical deduction (SMD) to simplify the collection of medical expense information from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants who are elderly (60+) or are non-elderly and living with disabilities. Doing so requires the state SNAP agency to request a demonstration waiver — from U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (USDA-FNS) — to develop an SMD in lieu of calculating actual medical expenses.

State agencies and their community nonprofit and local government partners can receive matching federal funds to create and implement Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) outreach and application assistance plans. The federal funds cover up to 50 percent of the cost of approved activities. State SNAP agencies must submit plans for U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service’s (USDA-FNS) approval.