Policy and Advocacy to Reduce Food Insecurities

1. Policy and Advocacy to Reduce Food Insecurities A focus on outreach for work supports and tax credits Elaine Cunningham Children’s Defense Fund Minnesota

2. Children’s Defense Fund • Nonpartisan, nonprofit organization • CDF does not seek nor accept any government funds • MN is one of 12 state and regional offices • The mission of the Children’s Defense Fund is to Leave No Child Behind and to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start, and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.

3. CDF Minnesota Initiatives Legislative Advocacy Tax & Benefit Outreach Research & Education

4. The State of Hunger in Minnesota • Food Insecurity rate was 7.7% in 2005 • Very Low Insecurity rate was 3.0% • Lower than most states but on the rise • Food program usage is up

5. Insecurity Corresponds to Poverty

6. Program Participation is on the Rise

7. Programs to Address Hunger • WIC • Usage: 130,000 participated (32,000/mo.) • Average Benefit: $35.17/person/mo. • Total Spending: $76 million • School Lunch (Free and Reduced Price) • Usage: 318,000 participated (37% of total) • Number of Schools: 2,111 • Total Federal Spending: $111 million

8. Programs to Address Hunger • Food Shelves • 305 Food shelves and 52 on-site meal programs • 576,000 visits in 2004 (36 m. pounds of food) • Usage grew 45% in five years (1999-2004) • Use of FSP is decreasing among food shelf users • Food Shelf households • Women, children and people of color are disproportionately represented • Majority of participants are women (69%) • 56% of households have at least 1 child (44% of individuals are children) • 15% of households have at least 1 senior

9. Food Support Program In the United States: • 26 million seniors, children, working families, people with disabilities use food support each month. • Participation rate is 60%

10. Food Support Participation

11. Food Support Program (cont.) In Minnesota: • 264,000 average monthly enrollment • 128,000 children (49% of all participants) In 2006, first time food only recipients outnumbered MFIP recipients • One in 20 Minnesotans rely on food support • Program usage increased 35% from 2000 to 2006 • Estimated 463,000 families are potentially eligible (57% participation rate)

12. 57% participation 65%participation

13. Food Support Demographics • Region of residence closely mirrors that of all Minnesotans (42% of food support households in greater MN = general population) • 31% of all adults, 7% of children and 48% of senior households reported a disability • Age distribution evenly disbursed • There are racial disparities between recipients -58% of adult recipients are white compared to 88% of total population -25% of adult recipients are black compared to 4% of total population

14. Economic Impact on Minnesota • Average benefit to families is 99¢ per person per meal • Estimated impact on economy is $520 million ($282 in federal dollars x 2) • Because of low participation rates, an estimated $838 million has been lost in federal dollars since 2000 • Estimated total economic activity from a 5% increase in participation = $24 million

15. Lack of awareness or belief not eligible Difficult application Face to face interview Monthly reporting Stigma Low benefits Asset limits Barriers to Participation

16. 2007 Legislative Success • Simplify the application for certain populations (literacy issues) • Look at ways to do face-to-face interviews without requiring absences from work • Six month renewals

17. For Food Support Align program requirements across programs Raise eligibility level to align with other programs Base benefits on realistic measures of food costs Adjust benefits for inflation Stop freeze out of benefits For all food programs Allow participation regardless of assets Offer full range of programs Make entitlement programs Increase outreach and awareness Increasing Participation

18. Children’s Defense Fund Minnesota Tax and Benefit Outreach Project

19. Tax and Benefit Outreach • Statewide initiative by CDF-MN to increase awareness and participation in public work support programs and federal & state tax credits • Health care (65% of eligible children were enrolled*) • Child care (23% of eligible children were enrolled**) • Food support (57% of eligible individuals were enrolled#) • Energy assistance (30% of eligible households were enrolled^) • School meals (85% of eligible children were enrolled) • EITC & WFC (82% of eligible households claimed**) • Work support programs and tax credits were created to help low-income workers meet basic needs • Barriers prevent participation *1999 **01-03 average ^2000 #2005

20. Goals of Bridge to Benefits • Increase awareness and participation in food support and other public programs • Improve economic stability of working families and promote healthy child development • Help families navigate program rules and discover the easiest way to apply for work supports • Assist service providers by forming a “network of support,” making sure families are receiving all the help available • Strengthen communities by bringing in more federal and state dollars • Drive policy and legislative decision making

21. Potential Impact • Full participation in “work support” programs by all eligible families would have a dramatic impact: • 23% fewer families would live in poverty (nationally) • 28,000 Minnesota kids • Millions more federal dollars would • flow into the Minnesota economy • EITC/WFC = $530 million • Food Support = $250 million • School Meal = $109 million • Energy Assistance = $77 million Source: Zedlewski, S.R., Giannarelli, L., Morton, J., & Wheaton, L. (2002). Extreme Poverty Rising: Existing Government Programs Could Do More. Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute.

22. The Impact on One Family • Consider this family of five: • 2 working parents • 1 child in 1st grade • 1 preschooler • 1 infant Their income is $27,600 a year (125% FPG in 2004)

23. The Family Budget • This family makes $2,300 each month • Without any public programs/tax credits, they are more than $600 short each month trying to cover the costs of child care, health care and their food budget • Does not include housing, clothing or transportation costs, much less savings • After enrolling in public programs/claiming tax credits, their remaining monthly balance is $1,800

24. Steps to Tax and Benefit Outreach • Created a web-based screening calculator (www.coveringallfamilies.org) to help families determine potential eligibility for public programs and tax credits. (Soon to be Bridge to Benefits)

25. What the Screening Tool Provides • A customized “Results Page” with programs families may be eligible for • Program overview & tips for applying • A list of verifications will need to apply. • Local contact information for application assistance • Detailed information on program guidelines • Printable applications in multiple languages • Information on other programs and voter registration

26. Steps Continued • Created a web-based screening calculator (www.coveringallfamilies.org) to help families determine potential eligibility. • Recruited organizations that work with low-income families to use the screening tool on a regular basis to help clients. • Recruited organizations that assist families with applying to public programs to accept “direct referrals.” • Selected target communities to focus tax and benefits outreach.

27. Results So Far • Working in 9 target communities • Recruiting partner organizations • Conduct screenings at free tax sites each year • 4300 screenings completed in 2006 • Data reveals underutilization of programs Energy Assistance - 66% Health Care programs - 53% Food Support - 44% School Lunch - 21% Child Care - 23%

28. For More Information… • On tax and benefit outreach, contact Ryan Johnson at 651-855-1175 or Elaine Cunningham at 651-855-1176 • On Children’s Defense Fund Minnesota, visit www.cdf-mn.org