Entries by CHW Staff

Reduction and loss of SNAP benefits tied to increased food insecurity and poor health among working

Originally posted on EurekAlert!.  BOSTON–Families with young children who experienced a reduction or cutoff in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits because of increased income were more likely to experience food insecurity and report poor health following the benefit change, according to new research from Children’s HealthWatch, based out of Boston Medical Center (BMC), and […]

May 7, 2019 /0 Comments/by

Family Welfare Caps Lose Favor in More States

Originally posted by Stateline, an initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts Since the 1990s, nearly half the states have denied additional cash assistance to low-income mothers who have more children while receiving welfare. But in recent years, so-called family cap laws have fallen out of favor. Last week, Massachusetts became the latest state to repeal its […]

May 6, 2019 /0 Comments/by

“Can I name this thing I see?” Informatics as a Trojan Horse to address Food Insecurity and SDOH: A Conversation with philosofarmer-turned nurse and policy informaticist Sarah DeSilvey

Originally published by Patchwise Labs We recently had the chance to sit down for a virtual coffee with Sarah DeSilvey to chat about her recent ICD-10 application, which proposed new “z-codes” for food insecurity on behalf of BCBS of VT and Yale School of Nursing. Sarah is also a practicing nurse practitioner, a food insecurity policy advocate, and the […]

May 2, 2019 /0 Comments/by
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Pathways to Stable Homes: Promoting Caregiver and Child Health Through Housing Stability

Stable homes are vital for good health. Research demonstrates children’s health improves when their families are able to live in homes they can afford without falling behind on rent, moving frequently, or experiencing homelessness. Unfortunately, Massachusetts has a shortage of affordable rental homes across the state. For every 100 families with extremely low incomes* in […]

May 1, 2019 /0 Comments/by
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Some Immigrants Choose Between Food Stamps and a Green Card

Originally published on The Atlantic. Lourdes Juarez has lived in North Carolina since 2000, working part-time to help children with disabilities improve their motor skills. Originally from Mexico, she is now a lawful permanent resident of the United States with plans to apply for citizenship. After bouts of pancreatic and liver cancer left her struggling […]

April 29, 2019 /0 Comments/by
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Strengthening the Massachusetts Earned Income Tax Credit for Immigrant Working Families

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) improves the health and well-being of children and lifts families out of poverty across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Currently, however, not all families in Massachusetts are eligible to claim the state EITC, despite living and working in the Commonwealth. These families include immigrants who file taxes using an Individual […]

April 11, 2019 /0 Comments/by
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Trends in Food Insecurity and SNAP Participation among Immigrant Families of U.S.-Born Young Children

Abstract: Immigrant families are known to be at higher risk of food insecurity compared to non-immigrant families. Documented immigrants in the U.S. <5 years are ineligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Immigration enforcement, anti-immigrant rhetoric, and policies negatively targeting immigrants have increased in recent years. Anecdotal reports suggest immigrant families forgo assistance, even […]

April 5, 2019 /0 Comments/by