Description: Virtual Labor-Public Economics Workshop: Seung Jin Cho

"The Effect of Aging Out of WIC on Food Insecurity"

Abstract: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) are designed to increase food security and reduce hunger for children from low-income households. Since the cutoff age for WIC is five, and school enrollment is required for receiving free or reduced-price NSLP, some of the children from low-income households cannot receive both WIC and free or reduced-price NSLP. The nonparametric partial identification method addresses the self-selection problem and underreporting of WIC participation in the Current Population Survey data. Due to a gap in food assistance programs for children, aging out of WIC increases child food insecurity by at least 1.1 percentage points under the strongest nonparametric assumptions. This result indicates that the prevalence of child food insecurity would decline by 14.86 percent if WIC extends its cutoff age until children enroll in kindergarten.

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Contact Person: Otavio Bartalotti