End Child Poverty California powered by GRACE

Down to $1.18: How Families Are Coping With SNAP Cuts

For those who depend on SNAP, this past week has been nothing short of chaotic. With the Supreme Court stepping in on Friday to pause a lower court’s order, the uncertainty only grew, and for many, that meant one urgent question: How will we get food?
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/u...

☔️Rain or shine, we show up! Andrew from ECPCA was at the California State Capitol yesterday as lawmakers assessed the real damage from the federal shutdown. The shutdown is over, but the impact is not.
#CalFresh #EndHunger #ECPCA #FoodJustice #CommunityPower #CaliforniaStrong

Yesterday’s Senate Human Services Hearing on H.R. 1 and the shutdown crisis was a powerful reminder of what’s truly at stake.
@jessearreguin.bsky.social said it clearly: “We have to center the families who access #CalFresh. No one should have to wonder where their next meal is coming from.”

Two incredible California mothers, Zuri Crawford and Abigail Villavicencio shared their stories of striving and thriving through the government shutdown that just ended.
Read more here:
www.aol.com/news/snap-re...

Families deserve more than patchwork policies.
With parent voice at the center, @liftcommunities’ Radical Imagining agenda lifts up 2 bold priorities:
1️⃣ Cash + Coaching = Economic Mobility
2️⃣ Reimagining the Social Safety Net
Explore →https://bit.ly/4hz4dHb

1 in 4 AZ kids relies on SNAP. State's dismal childhood poverty record leading to a perfect storm As the federal shutdown drags on, SNAP food benefits recipients remain in limbo. A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to release contingency funds to pay the benefits, but the president…

1 in 4 AZ kids relies on SNAP. State's dismal childhood poverty record leading to a perfect storm www.kjzz.org/the-show/202...

🚨 The Senate bill leaves 24 million people — low-income families, the elderly & children — behind. Now the House is voting.

Tell your Rep to vote NO & to find a solution that reopens the gov while protecting access to health care that many need to survive: www.ncjw.org/act/action/t...

📣Safety net programs like #CalFresh & #SchoolMealsForAll build a foundation in childhood that kids can launch from.

💪🏼When we strengthen our safety net programs, we strengthen our communities, & the future of our children.

🧰These are the tools to end child poverty!

"The California Department of Education has filed these federal waivers and that would allow schools to use existing school nutrition funds. The workers are ready to do it. All we need is the federal approval."- Keeley O'Brien, Policy Advocate with @westerncenter.bsky.social

"The grab & go meals during the COVID-19 pandemic are part of what led to a summer meal participation increase of 123% in July of 2020. This waiver provides an opportunity to put food on the table."
Josh Wright, Director Govt Affairs at @cafoodbanks.org on the Federal School Nutrition waiver.

"As food service workers we are ready to make sure every child has access to healthy meals, whether school is in session or not."
Leah Roman, school food service worker & member of the Classified School Employees Association, urges @usdagov.bsky.social to grant the Federal School Nutrition waiver.

Thank you CA Dept. of Ed. for hosting this morning's press conference on the Federal School Nutrition waiver protecting CA kids from hunger.

"When 27% of households w/children face food insecurity, we're calling on the federal govt to act."-State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond

Today, Yesenia Jimenez of ECPCA stood w/ leaders and advocates to call for a federal school nutrition waiver that ensures no child goes hungry during the shutdown.

Hunger steals potential. Together, we can stop it. ✨
#EndChildPoverty #FoodJustice #NourishOurChildren #CaliforniaStrong #CommunityCare

The time is now: end the shutdown, fund health care.

Our member, Shana, a small-business employee, testified before the Senate after learning that her family's monthly premiums will go from $460 to $700 per month. #MomSky

#WIC is currently open because of emergency funds released earlier this week, but these funds are only temporary. It is long past time for Congress to do it's job and pass a full FY26 spending bill.

✏️ Write to your reps: bit.ly/FUNDWIC26

Thank you, Ashley! These are the voices we need!

Our Texas member Ashley speaks at a Democratic Steering & Policy Committee Roundtable to share her story as a mom who relies on SNAP, WIC, & Medicaid to lift her family as this government shutdown harms families like hers! action.momsrising.org/sign/MomsSay... #MomSky

Key elections held across the country as government shutdown continues As millions vote in important races across the country, the Trump Administration has announced that it will only partially fund SNAP benefits as the shutdown continues.

ECPCA's managing director of public policy Andrew Cheyne joins @KALW's "Morning Edition" to discuss election day's impact on the 2026 midterms as voters respond to Trump. They also examine the shutdown's effect on SNAP and other aid.
🎧 Listen below!

www.kalw.org/show/your-ca...

'I'm terrified': Hunger looms as millions brace for loss of food aid amid shutdown Officials warn that November SNAP funds will not be issued without a resolution to the government shutdown, and there is no sign of a breakthrough in Congress.

Joselyn De Jesus Cano, a single mother of a 4-year-old in East Los Angeles, depends on her monthly $546 in CalFresh benefits to afford the ever-rising cost of groceries.
“For me it’s stressful, because kids don’t know what you have or don’t have,” she said.
www.latimes.com/politics/sto...

'I'm terrified': Hunger looms as millions brace for loss of food aid amid shutdown Officials warn that November SNAP funds will not be issued without a resolution to the government shutdown, and there is no sign of a breakthrough in Congress.

“We are past the point at which it is possible to prevent harm,” said Andrew Cheyne, managing director of public policy at ECPCA.
Michaela Thompson relies on federal assistance to afford specialized baby formula.
“It feels like the world is crumbling,” she said.
www.latimes.com/politics/sto...

USDA Refusal to Fund November CalFresh Benefits Threatens Food Security for 5.5 Million Californians The USDA’s refusal to fund November CalFresh benefits threatens food security for 5.5 million Californians.

The USDA’s refusal to fund November CalFresh benefits threatens food security for 5.5 million Californians. Poverty-and hunger-are policy choices.

Read more from @calbudgetcenter.org here:

calbudgetcenter.org/resources/us...

SNAP keeps millions fed and communities stable. The authority to sustain the program exists; what is missing is the will to use it. USDA must act now to prevent hunger and deliver all November SNAP benefits on time. Frac.org

🥕Thank you @natwicassoc.bsky.social for fighting to keep children and families nourished!

Will CalFresh Benefits Be Affected by the Government Shutdown? What We Know | KQED The government shutdown is in its third week, worrying many people using SNAP benefits — called CalFresh in California — that their benefits could change or stop in November. Here's what we know right...

✅ "Shimica Gaskins, President and CEO of End Child Poverty California, urged the USDA to, 'follow the law that SNAP is a federal entitlement, drawing on the contingency fund and any other resources and direct states to issue full November benefits as soon as possible.'”
www.kqed.org/news/1206077...

WIC is OPEN! Even during a government shutdown, WIC services and benefits remain available.
Keep your appointments.
Use your WIC card at the store.
Your family’s health and nutrition come first.
Find updates at: myfamily.wic.ca.gov/Home/Federal...
@calwicassociation.bsky.social

If you need food now:
To find a food bank, visit cafoodbanks.org/find-food/.
Dial 2-1-1 or visit 211ca.org to connect with local food pantries, meal programs, and other services. Available 24/7 and in multiple languages.
For more info visit: cdss.ca.gov.

Butterfly, poppies, and information about the 2025 legislative briefing

Mark your 🗓️: 2/10/26! We'll see you at the #EndChildPovertyCA IMAGINE Legislative Briefing in #Sacramento.

Ending child poverty takes political will! Join our coalition & state leaders to discuss our moral imperative to protect the safety & security of #California families.

Keeping track of Medi-Cal changes for immigrant families in 2025 is tough. Thankfully the Health Consumer Alliance has your back. They’ve created a series of fact sheets to help. Take a look and please share!

You can check them out here: healthconsumer.org/your_rights/

"We're are very concerned that if [WIC] support goes away for a pregnant mom or for a baby, there could really be lifelong impacts." - Ali Hard, NWA Public Policy Director

🗣️ A prolonged gov shutdown could cause families to lose support at critical life moments. Let your reps know: bit.ly/FUNDWIC26

⭐ We are thrilled to see #AB1261 (Bonta) signed into law!