Press Contact:
Laura Brooks
lbrooks@godspantry.org
606-584-4572
Statement from Michael Halligan, President and CEO of God’s Pantry Food Bank, on Senate SNAP Provisions That Threaten Families with Children
One in 4 children in Central and Eastern Kentucky faces hunger. These children should not go hungry simply because their parents cannot secure full-time, year-round employment.
The proposed changes by the Senate Agriculture Committee to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would impose stricter work requirements on parents of children aged 10 and above. While this is an improvement from the House-passed bill, which imposes work requirements on parents aged seven and above, it does not go far enough.
These changes would force parents into impossible choices — whether to stay home during summer months when affordable childcare is scarce or leave a middle-school-aged child home alone in order to keep their job and put food on the table.
I also implore our lawmakers to think about seasonal workers, such as school bus drivers and cafeteria staff, who are employed during the academic year but face unemployment in the summer, as well as farm workers whose job security fluctuates with harvest cycles. These families experience gaps in employment and pay during seasonal breaks, making it harder to meet basic needs without consistent SNAP support.
Work requirements for school-aged families risk cutting off SNAP benefits for thousands of working families who are already doing their best to provide for their children. In Kentucky alone, SNAP helps feed 595,200 people every month, including 225,000 children. Stripping food assistance from parents simply because their child has turned 11 ignores the realities families face: limited childcare options, unstable job markets, and the daily challenge of making ends meet.
Hunger doesn’t disappear as a child grows older. If these proposals move forward, we fear childhood food insecurity rates will spike, particularly in rural communities where jobs and services are often limited. Families could be forced to make impossible choices between paying for housing, utilities, or food, jeopardizing children's health, well-being, and long-term success.
We urge Kentucky’s senators to reject proposals that place new burdens on struggling families and to support a bipartisan Farm Bill that strengthens nutrition programs, preserves SNAP’s proven effectiveness, and protects Kentucky’s most vulnerable children.
Editor’s note: This is part two of a three-part series on the Senate’s budget reconciliation bill. Part one is available here, and another statement will be released on Monday regarding cost-shifting and administrative burdens.
About God’s Pantry Food bank:
1 in 6 people in Kentucky do not know when they will receive their next meal – in Central and Eastern Kentucky, it is 1 in 5. We empower more than 500 food pantries and meal programs across Central and Eastern Kentucky. Our vision: A nourished life for every Kentuckian. Our mission: Reducing hunger by working together to feed Kentucky communities. Visit godspantry.org to learn more.
