Researchers found fewer food benefits coincided with rising confirmed cases of child maltreatment.
A new study has found a connection between ending temporary food assistance benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic and rising rates of confirmed child maltreatment in communities across the United States. The findings suggest that reducing financial support for families struggling to afford groceries may have consequences that reach beyond household food supplies, potentially increasing the risk of harm to children.
The research, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, examined what happened after states stopped providing additional Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits introduced during the pandemic. Researchers found that counties where the extra payments ended experienced increases in confirmed cases of child maltreatment, including neglect and physical abuse.
SNAP (aka, food stamps) provides financial assistance to qualifying households so they can purchase groceries. During the early months of the pandemic in 2020, the federal government allowed states to issue additional monthly payments to help families manage the financial strain caused by widespread business closures, job losses, and other disruptions. The extra assistance gave many households more money to spend on food at a time when financial uncertainty was widespread. However, states did not end the additional payments at the same time. Some began discontinuing the expanded benefits in 2021, while others continued providing them into 2023. This difference allowed researchers to examine whether changes in child welfare cases were connected to the loss of additional grocery assistance.
The research team reviewed child welfare records from 1,153 counties across the country, covering January 2021 through February 2022. Information came from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System, which collects records involving reported cases, investigations, and services provided by child welfare agencies. During the period studied, ten states had ended their expanded SNAP payments, including Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Tennessee. Researchers compared changes in confirmed maltreatment cases in those states with counties where the additional benefits remained available. The results showed that confirmed cases of child maltreatment increased after the extra food assistance ended. Researchers also found increases in cases involving neglect and physical abuse.
Interestingly, the study did not find a significant increase in the number of maltreatment reports submitted to authorities as a result of ending aid. Instead, the increase involved cases that were confirmed after investigations. This distinction suggests that the findings were not simply the result of more people reporting suspected abuse or neglect. Rather, a greater share of cases was found to involve confirmed maltreatment.
Researchers noted that financial hardship and difficulty obtaining enough food have long been associated with increased stress within households. When parents struggle to afford groceries, housing, utilities, and other basic needs, the pressure can affect family relationships and make it harder to provide consistent care for children. The findings built upon earlier research that found temporary SNAP increases helped reduce food shortages and improve family well-being during the pandemic. It comes during a time in which changes to federal food assistance programs continue to affect millions of Americans. Additional eligibility restrictions and changes to benefit availability could further reduce the number of households receiving assistance.
The research team made a point to mention that preventing child maltreatment involves more than responding to cases after concerns arise. Proactive support is vital, and decisions about food assistance deserve consideration not only for their financial effects but also for their possible consequences for children and families.
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Ending emergency food benefits linked to higher child maltreatment rates
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