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Committee members ask for data on food insecurity amid debate over dependency and program effectiveness
Summary
During committee discussion following testimony on current use, members raised concerns about food insecurity and whether assistance programs create dependency; the committee asked staff to invite the Department for Children and Families and to seek program-level data and reporting on outcomes.
Committee members used the meeting’s remaining time to discuss food insecurity and requested clearer data on program usage and exits. A committee member described concerns from working Vermonters about dependency on food assistance programs and urged the committee to seek reporting that shows how many people enter and exit assistance and what supports help families regain self-sufficiency.
Why it matters: Members said better reporting would help the committee and the public assess whether programs are reducing long-term need or creating dependency and whether existing supports connect recipients to employment, training or other services.
Discussion and follow-up: Representative Berg (committee member) asked for data on how many households receiving assistance later exit and what outcomes they achieve. Several members said anecdotal evidence indicates many new households are seeking food assistance compared with previous years and that more formal data from the Department for Children and Families (DCF) and Economic Services would improve the committee’s oversight. The committee agreed to invite DCF’s Economic Services division to a future meeting and to seek numbers from the Vermont Food Bank and other service providers; staff were asked to coordinate those invitations and to post any submitted materials.
No formal motions or votes were recorded on this topic during the meeting.
