CNN: Prof. Dan Miller Shares Expertise on USDA’s Federal Hunger Report
As the USDA released its annual federal hunger report, BUSSW Professor Dan Miller shares his expertise on the impact of the enhanced child tax credit for 2021 on food insecurity.
Excerpt from “More children faced food insecurity last year during pandemic” by Tami Luhby:
Lawmakers should do more to address hunger in America, especially now that enhanced pandemic unemployment benefits have ended, said Luis Guardia, president of the Food Research & Action Center. “We have seen how the pandemic has exacerbated the nation’s already growing hunger crisis,” Guardia said. “If not for the federal nutrition programs, the data released today would be even more troubling.”
Though the economy has improved and more Americans are working, requests for food assistance is still higher than it was prior to the pandemic, according to Feeding America. More than half of food banks are reporting demand either increasing or demand holding steady in July, compared to the previous month, according to the group’s most recent survey of its members.
Widespread coverage of food insecurity and of the increased usage of food pantries destigmatized the need to seek assistance to address hunger, Engelhard said. “That really helped people feel more comfortable that they could turn to the charitable food system for help,” Engelhard said.
“Congress’ enhancement of the child tax credit for 2021, which is expected to cut child poverty nearly in half this year, should also help ease food insecurity among children this year,” said Dan Miller, an associate professor at Boston University’s School of Social Work.