More Than 1.5m Children Have Lost SNAP Food Assistance Since July 2025
New federal legislation is contributing to a sharp decline in the number of children receiving food assistance, leaving millions of families increasingly vulnerable to food insecurity.
Since the Republican reconciliation law was enacted in July 2025, more than one million children have lost access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits across 19 states with available data. This represents nearly half of the decline in total SNAP participation across those states.
Nationally, a conservative estimate suggests that more than 1.5 million children may have lost SNAP assistance since the law was enacted.
SNAP provides essential financial support to help low-income households purchase food. For families already struggling with rising grocery prices and the cost of living, losing this assistance can mean fewer nutritious meals, greater financial hardship, and an increased risk of hunger.
Why are children losing food assistance?
The 2025 reconciliation law shifts more of the financial burden of administering SNAP onto state governments. It also introduces additional requirements and administrative challenges that can make it harder for eligible families to obtain or maintain their benefits.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), these changes are contributing to substantial declines in participation. States facing financial pressure may reduce resources for processing applications, create additional barriers to accessing assistance, or consider restricting their programs.
Although reducing children's SNAP eligibility was not a stated objective of the law's proponents, the resulting funding pressures and access barriers are having serious consequences for children in low-income households.
The declines cannot readily be explained by improvements in families' financial circumstances. The analysis cited by CBPP points to continuing economic pressures, including high food costs and persistent food insecurity.
The impact across 19 states
The following figures compare total SNAP participation and child participation since the law was enacted. Negative figures indicate a decline in the number of people receiving assistance.
| State | Latest data | Total SNAP decline | Total decline (%) | Children lost | Child decline (%) | Children's share of total decline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | May 2026 | 81,838 | 11% | 23,324 | 7% | 29% |
| Arizona | June 2026 | 437,118 | 48% | 182,058 | 49% | 42% |
| Arkansas | May 2026 | 20,987 | 9% | 7,864 | 8% | 37% |
| California | May 2026 | 333,062 | 6% | 156,440 | 9% | 47% |
| Kansas | June 2026 | 25,174 | 13% | 11,245 | 13% | 45% |
| Louisiana | June 2026 | 170,227 | 21% | 82,064 | 23% | 48% |
| Maine | June 2026 | 18,528 | 11% | 5,463 | 10% | 29% |
| Maryland | May 2026 | 38,601 | 6% | 16,048 | 6% | 42% |
| Massachusetts | May 2026 | 174,973 | 16% | 61,647 | 18% | 35% |
| Michigan | May 2026 | 113,403 | 8% | 41,174 | 8% | 36% |
| Missouri | May 2026 | 48,475 | 7% | 17,268 | 6% | 36% |
| New Hampshire | June 2026 | 2,454 | 3% | 945 | 4% | 39% |
| New Jersey | April 2026 | 35,588 | 4% | 21,815 | 7% | 61% |
| New Mexico | April 2026 | 18,061 | 4% | 10,060 | 6% | 56% |
| Ohio* | May 2026 | 107,573 | 8% | 50,477 | 9% | 47% |
| Pennsylvania | June 2026 | 210,268 | 11% | 59,750 | 9% | 28% |
| South Dakota | June 2026 | 4,623 | 6% | 2,656 | 8% | 57% |
| Texas | June 2026 | 597,353 | 17% | 317,316 | 18% | 53% |
| Vermont | March 2026 | 4,547 | 7% | 1,544 | 8% | 34% |
| Total | — | 2,442,853 | 12% | 1,069,158 | 13% | 44% |
Note: The table presents the magnitude of each decline as a positive number for readability. The source reports these changes as negative figures. Ohio defines children as individuals under age 22 who receive SNAP benefits and live with a parent.
Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), calculations based on state agency data available as of July 20, 2026. The 19 states shown either publish child participation data or provided unpublished figures to CBPP. Kentucky was excluded because of data-quality concerns.
The state figures are not necessarily representative of the national picture. Arizona, in particular, experienced an unusually large decline in participation.
Why the funding changes matter
Under the law, states are scheduled to begin paying a share of SNAP benefit costs in October 2027, with potential liabilities reaching hundreds of millions of dollars in some states. The amount each state must pay will depend in part on its SNAP payment error rate.
States that cannot afford these additional costs may face difficult choices: divert funding from other public services, introduce further restrictions, or consider withdrawing from the program.
CBPP argues that Congress should delay the cost shift for all states for two years, allowing time to improve payment accuracy without cutting off eligible families from food assistance.
The consequences extend beyond SNAP
Losing SNAP benefits can also make it more difficult for children in low-income households to access other forms of food support, including the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and free school meals.
The consequences can reach far beyond a family's immediate food budget. Inadequate nutrition can affect children's health, development, educational outcomes, and long-term economic opportunities.
Behind every decline in participation are families who may be struggling to put food on the table. For parents, the loss of assistance can mean making impossible choices between groceries, housing, utilities, and other essential expenses. For children, it can mean going hungry at home or relying on fewer nutritious meals.
Every child deserves access to nutritious food, regardless of their family's financial circumstances.
With millions of people losing food assistance and state budgets under increasing pressure, the need for practical, sustainable solutions is becoming more urgent.
We must support food banks and community organisations, help eligible families navigate the SNAP application process, and develop lasting ways to ensure that children and families do not go without the food they need.
No child should have to go hungry because their family cannot navigate an increasingly difficult system or because the resources intended to support them are no longer available.
Together, we can help families access food assistance, strengthen community support, and work towards a future where no child goes hungry.