In New York City, 1 in 4 children are food insecure, meaning they lack consistent access to enough food. Households with children are nearly 20% more likely to struggle to make ends meet than households without children.

Ensuring children have regular access to nutritious food is one of the most effective ways to address child poverty. The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) is the nation’s largest and most effective anti-hunger program supporting families— nearly two-thirds of SNAP benefits go to families with children. Recent federal-level reductions in SNAP benefits threaten to undo decades of progress in targeted child poverty interventions. New York’s city and state leaders must invest in programs that can bridge this gap.

NYC SNAP Enrollment

SNAP is a critical tool for reducing food insecurity, and over 500,000 NYC children rely on SNAP benefits. Data from our latest factsheet shows that demand for SNAP has increased over the last 5 years.

In fact, the top 10 NYC community districts with the highest number of SNAP enrolled households have 50% or more households enrolled.

Impact of Federal SNAP Cuts on NYS Children

Over half of NYS households enrolled in SNAP are households with children. This year, CCC published an interactive tool illustrating how recent federal cuts to SNAP will impact families in each of New York’s 26 Congressional Districts.

The passage of the federal budget this summer (H.R. 1) changes SNAP eligibility for 41,000 immigrant New Yorkers, greatly impacting their ability to afford groceries amid rising costs. Among those impacted are asylees, refugees and humanitarian parolees fleeing domestic violence, human trafficking, persecution and violence.

Additionally, by October 1, 2026, states will be responsible for a larger share of the administrative costs for SNAP (up to 75% from 50%). By October 1, 2027, for the first time in the history of SNAP, states will also be required to fund a portion of benefit costs.

The new federal law also eliminates the requirement for a yearly review and update of maximum SNAP benefit amount based on the cost of a healthy diet. As a result, families will go without annual adjustments to benefit amounts, regardless of inflation, losing significant purchasing power as the costs of food rise.

SNAP cuts will have far-reaching effects on anti-hunger efforts. Some households may lose SNAP benefits altogether, while others who remain eligible may still struggle with food insecurity as these changes stretch their budgets.

Food Bank Concerns

According to CCC’s 2024 Keeping Track of NYC’s Children, more than 7.5 million individuals are served in food pantries in NYCThis year, a report from CityHarvest found that about 1 million NYC children and their families rely on food pantries every month.

Already strained by rising costs and inflation, food bank networks warn of greater pressure ahead.

City and State Budget Priorities

As budget season approaches, CCC will advocate for policies and investments that protect SNAP benefits and support other anti-hunger programs.

New York State Priorities

• Create a state-funded food benefit program for income-eligible New Yorkers currently excluded from SNAP based on their immigration status. This includes lawfully present immigrants who are no longer eligible for SNAP due to new eligibility restrictions, as well as all households with children currently ineligible for SNAP because of immigration status
• Invest $75 million for Fund Nourish NY and Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP)
• Invest $8.5 million for Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP) at
• Create a fund for stolen SNAP benefits retroactive from December 2024 and prospectively until EBT upgrade is completed, and fund and replace existing EBT cards with more secure technology
• Increase SNAP minimum benefit to $100

CCC is currently working with local anti-hunger partners to identify necessary investments to alleviate food insecurity at the city level. We continue to push for funding for programs like Community Food Connections (CFC) that support local food pantries already serving families across the city.

CCC is a member of the NYC Food Policy Alliance, the statewide SNAP4All coalition, and a coalition to prevent SNAP fraud and theft.