According to a report by Lauren Bauer a Fellow at the Hamilton Project,14 million U.S. children are currently experiencing food insecurity.

A number of think tanks and social activists have recommended a 15 percent increase in SNAP benefits corresponding to $20 per person per month as a component of COVID-19 relief.  The proposal is opposed by the White House and has no support from the Senate majority.  Expanding SNAP along with unemployment insurance is however favored by economists.  The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that is active in health and social issues has recommended that the Administration should serve free meals to students during the coming school year and that Congress should appropriate funds to support the program.

It is estimated that three times as many children are suffering from food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic as compared to the Great Recession.  According to the Hamilton Project Report, in June 2020, 16 percent of households with children reported hunger due to a lack of resources, with Black and Hispanic children experiencing the most insecurity.  The survey showed that 25 percent of respondents had lost their job or were temporary unemployed due to the pandemic.