Press Release: 7/2/2025
How Cutting SNAP and Medicaid will Trickle Down to Cutting Child Nutrition Programs
Leran Minc
Policy Work
While the proposed cuts in Congress do not specifically target child nutrition programs, cuts to Medicaid and SNAP as is currently written into the House and Senate bills would have negative impacts on child nutrition programs that provide support to children and families throughout the year to have access to nutritious food.
United States Senate Eviscerates SNAP and Medicaid in Budget Passed with Tie Breaking Vote
IMPACT ON SCHOOL MEALS
There are several ways for a student to be determined eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. Since the 2010s students have increasingly been directly certified based on household participation in other assistance programs eliminating the need for families to fill out paperwork. The vast majority of students receiving federally eligible for free school meals are now in families who are also enrolled in SNAP or Medicaid.
Since 2020, all Massachusetts students have received free school meals regardless of if they participate in SNAP, Medicaid, or fill out the paperwork. However, direct certification and meal applications allow the state to maximize federal dollars for school meals which drives down the state cost of providing free meals to all students.
In addition to certifying households for free school meals, programs like SNAP and Medicaid also allow schools with 25 percent of more students who are directly certified to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). CEP allows a school to serve free school meals to all students without any paperwork. Even with state funded universal free meals, CEP helps schools save time and helps the state save money.
If SNAP and Medicaid are significantly cut this would reduce the number of students federally eligible for free or reduced-price meals and shrink the number of schools able to use CEP.
IMPACT ON CHILDCARE, AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS, AND SUMMER MEALS
In areas where schools adopt CEP or at least fifty percent of children are free or reduced-price eligible, local sponsors of summer or afterschool meals can serve children and teens without registration or identification. This geographic determination also impacts reimbursement rates for childcare programs.
Cuts to SNAP and Medicaid would leave less options for out of school time meals and put extra financial pressure on organizations serving meals.
IMPACT ON SUN BUCKS (ALSO KNOWN AS SUMMER EBT)
2024 was the first year for a brand-new child nutrition program: SUN Bucks. SUN Bucks provides students eligible for free or reduced-price school meals with $120 during the summertime. SUN Bucks can be used to purchase groceries anywhere SNAP is accepted.
In addition to reducing the number of children and teens receiving SUN Bucks, Congress is proposing freezing the formula that determines SNAP and SUN Bucks benefit levels. Prices and dietary habits might change, but under the proposed law SUN Bucks would be unable to keep up with costs.
Altogether this means that when school is out families will have less options for summer meals and less money to buy groceries to make up the gap created by not having access to school meals.
IMPACT ON WIC
Medicaid and SNAP also allow for adjunctive eligibility for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). WC provides free healthy food, breastfeeding support, nutrition education, and referrals to other services for households with someone who is pregnant, post-partum, breastfeeding, or for children under the age of 5. Like direct certification for school meals, adjunctive eligibility allows for eligible clients to more easily receive WIC.
Cuts to Medicaid and SNAP are also cuts to child nutrition programs. Congress must change course to preserve and strengthen these vital basic needs programs that ensure children are able to grow up healthy and perform their best at school.