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Extension official: SNAP‑Ed funding cut leaves local nutrition education at risk
Summary
Extension representatives told commissioners the county lost federal funding for two SNAP‑Ed nutrition educators on Sept. 30 and are seeking one fully funded position to preserve free nutrition education services; staff said shortfalls have been temporarily patched with grants and contracts but gaps remain.
Extension representatives told commissioners that the county's SNAP‑Ed nutrition education staffing has been reduced after federal support ended, leaving local partners without routine, free nutrition education services.
"We lost the federal funding for those positions on September 30," an extension official said, describing the loss of two federally funded nutrition educators that had served the community for decades. The official said the Extension Council ran a six‑month trial funded through a mix of grants, a Patterson Family Foundation contribution routed through Kansas State University, and fee‑for‑service work, but that approach was only a short‑term patch.
Commissioners questioned how the supplemental request figures were calculated. One asked about a $24,000 professional services line, which Caitlin Ammerlin, Heritage Conservation Coordinator, said historically covered matching funds for countywide historic resource surveys and needs assessments; extension staff said the 2027 uses for similar pots are not fully decided. Extension staff explained differences between supplemental request items reflected the 1% state salary increase already accounted for in the baseline budget and additional amounts requested to reach a 3% staff increase.
When asked what the loss of a SNAP‑Ed position would mean for the community, the extension official said: "When we don't have the staff to send to those community partners, the audiences that they serve don't receive that technical and integrated information that they need." The official emphasized the service is most effective when offered free to community partners and said the council was requesting full funding for one SNAP‑Ed position to preserve that access.
The official described efforts to seek sustainable support, including contractor arrangements with Kansas State University and outreach to funders; however, they said Douglas County does not fall within the Patterson Family Foundation's primary catchment area, limiting the foundation's direct benefit in the county. The commissioner asked whether the Patterson Family Foundation had offered match support; the official said Patterson had funded statewide work and contracts with the university but had not committed local, ongoing support.
No formal vote or direction was recorded on the SNAP‑Ed request during this session. Commissioners will consider the supplemental requests as part of the broader budget process.
