CalFresh — California’s implementation of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — provides food assistance that supports basic nutritional needs, and is a central pillar of the social safety net for low-income families. Many of these infants’ mothers also received benefits that supported their nutritional needs during their pregnancies. During the COVID pandemic, the federal government authorized emergency allotment supplements that increased CalFresh benefits by at least $95 per household per month, and these supplements remained in place through March 2023. These changes — among the largest expansions of food assistance in U.S. history — reached large numbers of the most economically vulnerable mothers and newborns in the state.
This report describes the population of CalFresh-receiving infants and mothers in the Bay Area during this period: who they are, when they enroll, what benefits they receive, and what health outcomes characterize their births.
Suggested citation: Lott, C., Akhavan, N., Rothstein, J. CalFresh and Maternal and Infant Health in the Bay Area During the COVID Pandemic. (2026). California Policy Lab, University of California. https://capolicylab.org/calfresh-and-maternal-and-infant-health-in-the-bay-area-during-the-covid-pandemic/