Written by Lenice Emanuel, Executive Director of the Alabama Institute for Social Justice:
On October 27, 2025, the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) announced that November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits would be suspended due to the ongoing federal government shutdown and lack of USDA funding.
Nearly 750,000 Alabamians, including tens of thousands of children, depend on these monthly food benefits to meet their most basic needs.
In Alabama, child care programs already operate on thin margins. Providers rely on families’ consistent participation, and families rely on programs to stay employed. When food insecurity spikes, so does family stress, absenteeism, and instability in child care arrangements.