Casey Trupin: Cutting programs like SNAP risks our kids’ stability – potentially well after the shutdown

The shutdown shows us how fragile the programs that protect kids’ stability actually are.

Before the government shutdown, choosing whether to feed or house your family was already a reality for too many Washingtonians. The abrupt end to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits made it even harder for the more than 540,000 families who rely on SNAP to make ends meet. Although our state stepped in to provide emergency relief, the back and forth highlighted the stress and uncertainty that comes when paychecks don’t stretch far enough. It underscores a larger truth: Cutting back the programs our kids rely on puts their futures – and our shared prosperity – at risk.

SNAP is one of the most effective public programs we have to keep families fed and communities stable. In a state where the cost of living continues to climb, halting or cutting these benefits pushes more young people into housing instability and hunger. That is not just wrong – it is short-sighted.

I have spent my career fighting for young people facing steep odds – kids in foster care, the juvenile justice system, and those experiencing homelessness. I have learned that without consistent access to food and a stable place to call home, everything else becomes nearly impossible. When kids do not know where their next meal is coming from, they have a much harder time being present in class, absorbing the lesson of the day, and connecting with their peers and teachers. Going to school regularly becomes harder and falling behind becomes easier. Without a diploma or GED, they are four and a half times as likely to experience homelessness in adulthood.

In the same way that SNAP offers families a lifeline, Washington has programs designed to help young people avoid homelessness through flexible funding and targeted support. These efforts work. Between 2016 and 2022, the number of young people experiencing homelessness in our state fell by 40%. On top of that, nearly every county in our state now has services to get young people the support they need. But this hard-earned progress depends on the safety net we have created across the systems that serve young people. Without this support, progress like a 34% increase in graduation rates among students experiencing homelessness could be at risk as early as next year.

One of the most significant programs in Washington that has led to this remarkable improvement in graduation rates is the Homeless Student Stability education Program (HSSeP), which helps school districts identify students experiencing homelessness and provides tutoring support, temporary housing, transportation, hygiene essentials, and more. These funds help students stay in school and graduate – an important milestone for their long-term success that reduces the possibility that they re-enter homelessness. Despite its proven success, HSSeP’s funding was cut in half for 2026 and will expire in 2027, unless the Legislature takes action soon. At its core, HSSeP should be a policymaker’s dream – a program that helps young people achieve important outcomes for relatively small amounts of money.

These ongoing funding challenges highlight how fragile the systems that support everyday people, including our kids, can be. We need stronger, more consistent coordination between government, housing, education, philanthropy, and communities so young people have what they need even when budgets or policies shift.

Our lawmakers should remember that programs like SNAP and HSSeP are not just about policy – they are about people. They are about looking out for our neighbors and giving every child a fair shot at a stable, hopeful future.

Casey Trupin is the director of the Raikes Foundation’s housing stability for youth portfolio, which supports efforts in Washington state as well as national approaches to ensure that all youth have a safe and stable place to live. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2015, Casey was the directing attorney for the Children and Youth Project at Columbia Legal Services, where he engaged in litigation, legislative advocacy and other systemic initiatives to improve outcomes for children, youth and adults experiencing homelessness, as well as those in foster care and the justice system.