Black and Hispanic households with children in the U.S. are nearly twice as likely to be struggling to afford food during the coronavirus pandemic as white families, according to new research. Experts say that although there have long been racial disparities in food insecurity, the gaps are widening amid the pandemic.
The research, based on weekly surveys from the Census Bureau, found that 39% of Black households with children and 37% of Hispanic households with children are currently food insecure, compared with 25% and 17%, respectively, in 2018. The rate for white households with kids is 22%.
“The disparities are long-standing, but what Covid has uncovered is that disparities can widen rapidly,” said Sara Bleich, professor of public health policy at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who was not involved in the research, in a July 6, 2020 Politico article. She said that current Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are not adequate.
Read the Politico article: Stark racial disparities emerge as families struggle to get enough food
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Opinion: ‘Critical’ to ensure nutritional needs of vulnerable children during pandemic (Harvard Chan School news)