"Stigma" has become a favored adjective when advocating for change in federal feeding programs...The front page story in today's New York Times. "food Stamp Use Soars Across US, and Stigma Fades," is about the dramatic rise in the US over the last two years of federal nutrition assistance; about ten million Americans have newly joined the program, which is run by USDA and officially called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). More than 1 in 8 Americans rely on SNAP, and 1 in 4 of these is children.
The Times headline claims that the "stigma" of utilizing the programs is fading, thanks to so many Americans requiring assistance, as well as to the use of federal electronic "debit" cards, which makes it easier to purchase groceries without calling attention to the fact that one is actually using federal assistance. In a down economy, with high unemployment, the New York Times headline holds that people are eager for assistance. The people that are actually quoted in the article tell a different story. They're grateful for assistance, but deeply upset that they're relying on it.
"Stigma" as a reason to change in school feeding programs...
Adopting paperless access and universal enrollment to remove the "stigma" from federal school feeding programs has become a major talking point for Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack lately. He's been calling for adopting the same kind of "paperless" access for school nutrition programs that is employed within the SNAP program, and lately he has invoked the concept of "stigma" each time he discusses school nutrition. During the most recent Senate hearing on the Child Nutrition Act reauthorization, both Sec. Vilsack and Ag committee chair Sen. Blanche Lincoln cited the concept of "stigma" as one of the top three reasons for converting to paperless enrollment for school breakfast and lunch programs--and for bringing school feeding programs "into the 21st century."
"We need to remove the stigma associated with school lunch access for these youngsters," Sec. Vilsack said during a Nov. 16 conference call with reporters, and he stressed that ensuring that children who use federal assistance remain anonymous in the lunch line is critical to getting more children who need the assistance to enroll.
Sen. Lincoln noted during her opening remarks for the hearing that sending paper forms home with children is often useless, and seemed to be in favor of the electronic program.
Each of the expert witnesses at the same hearing called for an electronic system, too, in particular Rich Huddleston, a child and family advocate from Arkansas, who called for passage of S1343, the Hunger Free US Schools Act, a bill that would expand direct certification procedures for the national school lunch and school breakfast programs. The bill has been introduced and referred to committee, but there has been no movement on it. Regardless of whether there is any kind of stigma attached to accepting federal nutrition assistance, it's clear it's necessary to expand the entire program, as the recent Household Food Security Report for 2008 illustrates; there are millions of hungry kids, and millions who rely on school feeding programs for much of their daily nutritional intake. It can only be hoped that Congress gets it this time, and not only fully funds the program, but ensures a change in food standards, too. At this moment in time, with high unemployment and even working families unable to afford adequate food, stigma seems like an outdated concept. Watch the Senate Ag testimony here.
There's an interactive map with the Times story that is a devastating commentary on the economic downturn in America; more than 1 in 8 Americans now rely on food stamps. More than 31 million children get much of their nutrition from school feeding programs, too, according to USDA. The map shows, by State and County, where food stamp usage is highest. Click the link to view it. The USDA has expanded electronic SNAP to some farmers markets, in an effort to encourage the consumption of more fresh fruits and vegetables.
*Food stamps are an entitlement program, with eligibility guidelines set by Congress and the federal government paying for benefits while states pay most administrative costs. Eligibility is determined by a complex formula; essentially recipients must have few assets and incomes below 130 percent of the poverty line, or less than $27,560 for a family of four.
