Virginia Survey Finds 51% of Families with Children Face Food Insecurity
A statewide survey commissioned by the Federation of Virginia Food Banks, Virginia Department of Social Services, and No Kid Hungry Virginia found 51% of families with children are food insecure, up from 42% in the final federal USDA survey that ended in 2025. The University of Chicago survey of 5,600 Virginians shows rising food insecurity amid inflation and SNAP eligibility changes under H.R. 1, which resulted in more than 100,000 Virginians losing benefits over the past year. The survey also found three out of four food-insecure adults have chronic conditions and three in five visited an emergency room or urgent care at least once in the past year. Governor Spanberger signed an executive order to streamline inter-agency coordination as H.R. 1 threatens 300,000 with Medicaid loss in 2027.