Estimating effects of food programs on children's food insecurity: A simultaneous equation model with pseudo panel data

The objective of this study is to examine the impacts of food assistance programs on children's food insecurity. The food assistance programs considered in this study include SNAP, NSLP, WIC, and FRCF provided by the federal government. The study particularly examines whether the food programs affect the status of children's food insecurity and the severity of children's food insecurity. A simultaneous equation model is used to address the potential endogeneity problem caused by reverse influence of food insecurity on participation of food programs. A pseudo panel data analysis is also conducted to examine the effects of the programs in dynamics about whether or not the food programs change the probability of children being food insecure and the extent of the food problem from severe food insecurity to less severe food insecurity. Results show that SNAP affected the severity of children's food insecurity but did not affect the probability of children being food insecure. FRCF was effective from the cross sectional data analysis but ineffective from the pseudo panel data analysis. The effectiveness of NSLP and WIC was not statistically significant from the analyses of probit and truncated regression models in the simultaneous equation framework or pseudo panel data analysis. White and non-Hispanic children and children living with married couples, living in higher income households, and living in households with employed reference persons were less likely to fall into food insecurity and had less severe food insecurity.