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Nutrition - Primer.web - FINAL 3
Nutrition - Primer.web - FINAL 3
Nutrition - Primer.web - FINAL 3
Table of Contents
2-5
6-19
Hunger in Texas
Federal Nutrition Programs Benefiting Texans
7-9
10-11
12-13
14-15
16-17
18
19
20
Endnotes
21
Resources
Hunger in Texas
We worried that our food
would run out before we
got money to buy more.
We couldnt afford to eat
balanced meals.
We skipped meals
because there wasnt
enough money for food.1
Faces of Hunger
Food insecurity affects families in all corners of the state urban, suburban and rural areas. It affects children, adults and
seniors, and families of all races and ethnicities. However,
certain populations are at higher risk for hunger. Nationally,
one in three low-income households is food insecure, as are
single-mother households. A quarter of all Black and Hispanic
households are food-insecure. Households with children are
almost twice as likely to be food-insecure as households
without children.13
285 M
In 2011, SNAP
benefits in Texas
totaled nearly
4.8 billion pounds
of food.19
4.8
Billion
supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program21
4
Million
Texans Served
212,000
Texans served
955,000
Texans Served
Special Populations
The Women, Infants & Children (WIC) and Child & Adult Care
Food Program (CACFP) serve special populations. WIC serves
pregnant women, infants and young children. CACFP serves
young children, elderly adults and adults with disabilities who
require care. These programs operate through child care sites,
adult day care centers, and clinics that serve pregnant women,
infants and young children.
3Million
.2
Texans Served
Afterschool
Meals Program25
51,000
Texans served
280,000
Texans served
1.8 Million
Texans Served
School-Aged Children
These federal nutrition programs are targeted for children
and operate through schools, afterschool programs,
churches and other places that serve school-aged children.
The Summer Nutrition Programs are the only programs
available during the summer, while the other programs
operate during the school year.
Nutrition
Programs
in Texas
Texans Served
What is SNAP?
Texans Served
SNAP benefits can be used only on food items, such as fruits and vegetables,
flour, meat, fish and dairy products. SNAP benefits cannot be used to purchase
hot, prepared foods that can be eaten in stores, and other non-food items
such as alcohol, cigarettes, diapers, pet food, household supplies, vitamins
and medicine.
Within these limitations, SNAP does not further restrict recipients choices.
The program allows Texans to choose how to best use their food budgets,
supplemented by SNAP benefits. However, SNAP does include a nutrition
education program, SNAP-Ed, which provides information about making healthy
food and lifestyle choices. In Texas, agricultural extension services and local
food banks run most SNAP-Ed programs.37
62%
Children
2%
2%
Adults without
disabilities (living
in households
without children)
Adults with
disabilities (living
in households
without children)
Adults living
in households
with children
Seniors
7%
28%
Texas has been recognized for its very high rates of payment
accuracy (98 percent).44 However, Texas currently has one of
the lowest rates of participation for eligible individuals in the
country. Only 71 percent of all eligible Texans are enrolled in
SNAP, compared to 79 percent nationally.45
A states participation rate is tied to the flexibility it has
to modify eligibility rules when administering SNAP. For
example, states can set the limit on the assets a family can
have and qualify for SNAP. In Texas, the limit is $5,000 in
cash and $15,000 for the first car or truck. That means a
low-income family that owns a car or has a small emergency
savings account may be ineligible for SNAP. Most states have
eliminated asset limits in order to reduce administrative costs,
increase program efficiency and encourage low-income
families to save.
Every $5 in SNAP
generates nearly $9
of economic activity.47
9
Texans Served
What is WIC?
WIC participation has been
linked with:
Healthier diets
Improved rates of regular
medical care48
In a typical month,
Texans redeemed more
than $46 million in WIC
benefits at grocery stores
and supermarkets all
across the state.51
10
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children,
also known as WIC, is designed to improve the health of nutritionally at-risk
pregnant women, new mothers, infants and children under age five by providing
healthy foods, nutrition education and access to basic health services.
Whole-wheat bread
Oatmeal
Milk
Cheese
Beans
Juice
Brown Rice
Eggs
Peanut Butter56
WIC benefits pregnant women and new mothers with modest incomes by
supporting the purchase of nutritious foods and encouraging healthy behaviors
that can reduce health costs in the long run. Research has shown that prenatal
participation in WIC was associated with costs savings in Medicaid for lowincome mothers and newborns because babies were born healthier and with
fewer complications.53
WIC is 100 percent federally funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
In 2013, Texas received $495 million for the WIC program, which covered both
the cost of food benefits and administration of the program.54 In a typical month,
Texans redeemed more than $47 million in WIC benefits at Texas grocery stores
and supermarkets all across the state.55
11
Texans Served
12
61% of eligible
Texans Served
The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) has been serving Texas children
since 1946 and is the largest school-based program for feeding students in the
state. The goal of NSLP is to promote the health and well-being of children by
guaranteeing they can eat a healthy meal while at school. Each school day,
more than 3 million children in Texas receive a healthy lunch thanks to NSLP.70
14
Schools are responsible for classifying students as eligible for free or reducedprice meals and can fulfill this responsibility in multiple ways. Most schools
ask families to provide income information at the beginning of the school year.
Schools also receive information from state agencies that identifies students
participating in other programs with similar income eligibility requirements, such
as SNAP. The Direct Certification process enrolls identified students in NSLP,
reducing paperwork for families and schools.
By providing a healthy lunch each school day at low or no cost, NSLP lifts a major
financial burden off millions of low-income families across the state, allowing
their limited food budgets to go further. In the 2013-14 school year, schools
received $1.3 billion in federal reimbursements for school lunches.74
15
Texans Served
The School Breakfast Program (SBP) ensures that nearly 1.8 million children
in Texas start their school day with the nutrition they need to learn.78 Serving
breakfast at school helps students who may not eat breakfast at home and
would otherwise start the school day on an empty stomach.
16
Increased attendance
Higher grades83
17
Texans Served
21 school districts and 3 cities sponsored
afterschool meal sites87
18
Texans Served
428,114
Statewide average daily participation,
Summer Nutrition Programs94
235,952
134,797
June
July
August
19
Endnotes
1.Coleman-Jensen,
A., Gregory, C, & Singh, A. (Sept
2014). Household food security in the United States
in 2013. USDA Economic Research Service. Retrieved
from http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/1565415/err173.
pdf. Statements are from questions used to assess
food security in the Food Security Survey. Respondents
answered Yes/No or Often True/Sometimes True/
Never True to the questions.
2. See note 1.
3. See note 2.
4. FRAC.
2013 Texas profile of hunger, poverty, and federal
nutrition programs. Retrieved using National and State
Program Data Tool, http://frac.org/reports-2/
5. C hild Trends Databank. (2014). Food Insecurity. Retrieved
from http://www.childtrends.org/?indicators=foodinsecurity
6. See note 6.
7. F RAC. (2010). Why low-income and food-insecure people
are vulnerable to overweight and obesity. Retrieved from
http://frac.org/initiatives/hunger-and-obesity/why-arelow-income-and-food-insecure-people-vulnerable-toobesity/
8. Seligman, H.K., et. al. (2007). Food insecurity is
associated with diabetes mellitus: Results from the
National Health Examination and Nutrition Examination
Survey (NHANES) 1999-2002. Journal of General Internal
Medicine, 22(7), 1018-1023. Retrieved from http://www.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2583797/
9. Ford, E.S. (2013). Food Security and cardiovascular
disease risk among adults in the United States: Findings
from the National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey, 20032008. Preventing Chronic Disease. http://
dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd10.130244
10. S hepard, D.S., Setren, E., & Cooper, D. (Oct 2011).
Hunger in America: Suffering we all pay for. Center
for American Progress. Retrieved from http://
cdn.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/
issues/2011/10/pdf/hunger_paper.pdf
11. Feeding
America. (2014). Map the meal gap. Retrieved
from http://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-inamerica/our-research/map-the-meal-gap/
12. See note 2.
13. S ee note 2.
14. CPPP
analysis of Legislative Appropriations Requests
for 2016-17, TDA, TEA, DSHS, and HHSC, retrieved from
http://www.lbb.state.tx.us/AgencyDocs.aspx; HHSC
2014 Operating Budget, retrieved from https://www.
hhsc.state.tx.us/about_hhsc/2014-Operating-Budget.
pdf. Includes value of SNAP benefits and excludes WIC
rebates.
15. F eeding Texas. (n.d.) Feeding our neighbors. Retrieved
from http://www.feedingtexas.org/work/feeding-ourneighbors/
16. F eeding America analysis of data from Texas food
banks, provided by Feeding Texas [Data file]. Total
includes food donated to or purchased by food banks,
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and
the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP).
17. F eeding Texas analysis of 2011 HHSC data, retrieved
from http://www.hhsc.state.tx.us/research/TANF_
FS.asp. The dollar value of SNAP benefits used in
each county was converted to pounds of food using
the USDA Moderate Cost Diet Pounds Per Meal and
Nielsen Index Weight.
20
56. D
SHS. (2013). Texas WIC approved foods poster.
Retrieved from http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/wichd/
approved_foods/new_foods.shtm
57. D
ata request to DSHS. 2013 estimated eligibles and
November 2013 participation [Data file].
58. See note 57.
59. S ee note 22. Total child care sites are the sum of child
care centers and day care homes.
60. A
verage Daily Participation for Breakfast and Lunch.
See note 59.
61. See note 22.
62. See note 22.
63. See note 22.
64. S ee note 22. Estimates of individuals served are
based on Average Daily Participation (ADP) for Lunch
in Adult Day Care and the sum of ADP for Child Care
Centers and Day Care Homes. Although CACFP includes
reimbursements for breakfast, lunch and supper, lunch
has the highest participation.
65. T DA. 2014-15 CACFP reimbursement levels.
Retrieved from http://www.squaremeals.org/
Programs/ChildandAdultCareFoodProgram/
CACFPReimbursementRates.aspx
66. See note 22.
67. T DA. (Oct 2014). Legislative Appropriations Request
for FY 2016 and 2017. 2.D. Summary of Base Request
Objective Outcomes. Page 45. Retrieved from http://
www.lbb.state.tx.us/AgencyDocs.aspx
68. See note 67.
69. C ertification of compliance with meal requirements
for the NSLP under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act
of 2010. 79 Fed. Reg. 325 (January 3, 2014). Retrieved
from http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2013341030P.pdf
70. See note 24.
cppp.org
feedingtexas.org
Texas Hunger Initiative at Baylor University
baylor.edu/texashunger
Food Research and Action Center (FRAC)
frac.org
datacenter.kidscount.org
December 2014
21
This report was authored by Senior Policy Analyst Rachel Cooper and Research Associate
Jennifer Lee as part of Texas Kids Count, a project of the Center for Public Policy Priorities.
We would like to thank the Annie E. Casey Foundation for their generous support.