This report provides information on the demographic and economic characteristics of SNAP households in fiscal year 2009. The average monthly number of participants reached a record high of 32.9 million. Nearly half of recipients were children, another 8 percent were over age 60, about 40 percent...

This paper describes TEFAP, which manages and distributes food to the local emergency food assistance system and allows for scaling up distribution to those who need TEFAP foods most—particularly millions of low-income Americans who are experiencing short- or longer-term food insecurity,...

Direct certification simplifies the process of certifying certain children for free school meals by eliminating the need for households to apply. The 2004 Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act required all local educations agencies (LEAs) to establish a system of direct certification by...

Discusses the diverse capacities and vulnerabilities of different groups of Medicare beneficiaries and how well current information strategies address their needs. Notes that policymakers should be aware of this diversity and the need for transitional and targeted education strategies to reach...

The Food Stamp Program provides assistance to millions of families each month. This report examines how long families tend to receive food stamps, and what circumstances lead them to enter and exit the program. About half the families that begin receiving benefits participate for eight months or...

This report contains the findings of a committee charged with reviewing the HIPAA privacy rule and its impact on health research. The committee found that the rule does not adequately protect the privacy of people’s personal health information and hinders important health research. It...