Food Stamp Outreach

States can use federal matching funds to inform people that they are eligible for the Food Stamp Program, which helps eligible low-income people buy nutritious food. Outreach efforts are critical to ensuring that these eligible people participate.¹ In the wake of the recession that begun in late 2007, enrollment in the program has reached record highs.²

Is the state using federal matching funds to conduct a formal outreach program to ensure that all eligible individuals are enrolled in the Food Stamp Program?

States that conduct outreach with their federal funds receive a "meets policy," while those that do not engage in outreach receive a "no policy."

State	Strength of Policy	Change from 2007
Alabama	No Policy	Same
Alaska	Meets Policy	Better
Arizona	Meets Policy	Same
Arkansas	Meets Policy	Better
California	Meets Policy	Same
Colorado	No Policy	Same
Connecticut	Meets Policy	Same
Delaware	No Policy	Same
District of Columbia	Meets Policy	Better
Florida	Meets Policy	Same
Georgia	Meets Policy	Better
Hawaii	Meets Policy	Same
Idaho	No Policy	Same
Illinois	Meets Policy	Same
Indiana	Meets Policy	Better
Iowa	Meets Policy	Same
Kansas	Meets Policy	Better
Kentucky	No Policy	Same
Louisiana	No Policy	Same
Maine	Meets Policy	Better
Maryland	Meets Policy	Better
Massachusetts	Meets Policy	Same
Michigan	Meets Policy	Same
Minnesota	Meets Policy	Same
Mississippi	No Policy	Same
Missouri	No Policy	Same
Montana	Meets Policy	Same
Nebraska	No Policy	Same
Nevada	Meets Policy	Same
New Hampshire	Meets Policy	Same
New Jersey	Meets Policy	Better
New Mexico	No Policy	Same
New York	Meets Policy	Same
North Carolina	Meets Policy	Better
North Dakota	No Policy	Same
Ohio	Meets Policy	Same
Oklahoma	Meets Policy	Better
Oregon	Meets Policy	Same
Pennsylvania	Meets Policy	Same
Rhode Island	Meets Policy	Same
South Carolina	No Policy	Worse
South Dakota	No Policy	Same
Tennessee	Meets Policy	Same
Texas	Meets Policy	Better
Utah	No Policy	Same
Vermont	Meets Policy	Same
Virginia	No Policy	Same
Washington	Meets Policy	Same
West Virginia	No Policy	Same
Wisconsin	Meets Policy	Better
Wyoming	No Policy	Same

Policy Indicator Counts

Meets Policy:

34

Limited Policy:

0

Weak Policy:

0

No/Harmful Policy:

17

Better:

13

Same:

37

Worse:

1

Data Source: Unpublished data from the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), Washington, D.C., June 2010.

Footnotes

¹ Generally, individuals are eligible for Food Stamps if they work for low wages, are unemployed or work part-time, receive welfare or other public assistance payments, are elderly or disabled and live on a small income, or are homeless. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, “Facts About the Food Stamp Program, “April 2007, available at http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/applicant_recipients/facts.htm, accessed September 23, 2010.

² Food Research Action Council (FRAC), “Food Stamp Participation Hits New High,” June 3, 2009, available at http://www.frac.org/Press_Release/june09_snap_record.htm, accessed September 23, 2010.