Study Finds 1 in 7 Children With SNAP/WIC Benefits Still Food Insecure

Researchers from The Bronx, NY, studying food insecurity found that being enrolled in benefit programs such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and its program specific to Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) does not fully protect children from experiencing food insecurity. The research brief, “Risk factors for Unresolved Food Insecurity Among Households Receiving SNAP or WIC,” published in the December 2025 edition of Pediatrics (published online on Nov. 7), analyzed data gathered from the 2022-2023 National Survey of Children’s Health on households that receive WIC or SNAP benefits. They found that despite receiving these benefits, one in seven children still experienced limited access to adequate and nutritious food. Those who were at higher risk of remaining food insecure despite benefits were children who were older, with public or no insurance, with special healthcare needs and from lower-income households. Authors say that even with safety nets in place, socioeconomic or structural reasons such as food deserts can still fuel food insecurity. Other contributing factors include the age limits set for WIC recipients. For instance, once children age out, additional benefits from WIC are lost, but the family can remain on SNAP benefits.  The research also found that more than 1.5 million children out of nearly 3.8 million children identified by the survey as living in a home with food insecurity did not receive WIC or SNAP benefits, marking a significant gap. Authors state that this research can help inform future policy i to prevent gaps in access to nutritious food. 

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.