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The Impacts of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Child Maltreatment: A Systematic Review
Liwei Zhang1, Xi Wang2, Ruopeng An3
1University of Georgia, Athens, USA.
Insights
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) may reduce child maltreatment investigations and foster care entries. However, some SNAP policy changes, like altering benefit timing, may increase maltreatment reports.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Social Policy
- Child Welfare
Background:
- Children in poverty experience higher rates of maltreatment.
- The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a key anti-poverty initiative.
- Evidence linking SNAP to child maltreatment outcomes requires systematic synthesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and synthesize evidence on the association between SNAP and child maltreatment in the U.S.
- To evaluate the impact of SNAP participation, benefit levels, and policy changes on child maltreatment.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search following PRISMA guidelines.
- Inclusion of peer-reviewed, English-language U.S. studies quantifying child maltreatment outcomes.
- Analysis of 10 studies examining SNAP exposure and maltreatment.
Main Results:
- More generous SNAP policies correlated with decreased child protective services (CPS) investigations, substantiated maltreatment, and foster care entries.
- Shifting SNAP issuance timing was linked to increased maltreatment reports.
- Economic supports like SNAP may contribute to child maltreatment prevention efforts.
Conclusions:
- SNAP and similar economic supports show potential as child maltreatment prevention strategies.
- Findings suggest a complex relationship, with some evidence indicating protective effects and others highlighting potential risks associated with specific policy implementations.
- Further research is needed to clarify the nuanced impact of SNAP on child maltreatment.
Abstract:
Children living in poverty face elevated maltreatment risk. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest anti-poverty program in the United States, yet no systematic review has synthesized evidence on its impact on child maltreatment. This review synthesizes evidence on the association between SNAP and child maltreatment outcomes in the United States. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we conducted a systematic search of peer-reviewed, English-language U.S. studies examining SNAP participation, benefit levels, or SNAP-related policy changes as an exposure and reported at least one quantitative child maltreatment outcome. Of 1,947 records retrieved, 10 studies met the inclusion criteria. Three state-level quasi-experimental studies found that more generous SNAP policies were associated with reductions in investigations by child protective services (CPS), substantiated maltreatment, and foster care entries. One study found that shifting SNAP issuance timing from the first of the month to later dates throughout the month was associated with increases in maltreatment reports. One simulation study showed that higher SNAP benefits reduced the risk of investigation by CPS. One statewide study found no overall effects but observed reductions in maltreatment in rural areas. Four additional studies reported mixed or context-dependent findings. Taken together, the evidence aligns with the argument that economic and nutritional supports may serve not only as anti-poverty tools but as part of broader child maltreatment prevention efforts, although findings remain limited and somewhat mixed across studies.
