Maryland SNAP-Ed Program To End October 1 After Federal Funding Cut

SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is shown using the text. SNAP provides food benefits to low-income families — Source: Andrii Dodonov / Getty

The Maryland SNAP-Ed program, which has provided free nutrition education to low-income families and SNAP participants for years, will shut down on October 1 following new provisions in the Big Beautiful Bill signed into law in July.

Operated through the University of Maryland Extension, SNAP-Ed is fully funded by the federal government. In fiscal year 2024, the program received nearly $6.3 million in federal support. Its closure will affect 700 community partners, including schools, Head Start Centers, Judy Centers, and other food access programs, and leave 70 employees without jobs.

Lisa Lachenmayr, the program’s director, said the shutdown is a devastating blow to communities across the state.

“I helped build this program. People love it, and they do it for the impact it has. Seeing staff lose their jobs and knowing the families who will no longer get our services is heartbreaking,” Lachenmayr said.

SNAP-Ed reaches more than 424,000 Marylanders each year through activities like recipe tastings, community gardens, wellness programs, alphabet cards, and children’s books. It also partners with farmers, food pantries, and other local food initiatives to improve access to healthy meals.

“Nutrition education is critical,” Lachenmayr added. “We already see high rates of chronic disease and obesity. Losing this resource means losing an impactful tool that won’t easily be replaced.”

Harford County Councilman Jacob Bennett, a kindergarten teacher who has seen the program in action in his Title I classrooms, said SNAP-Ed has introduced many children to healthy foods for the first time.

“Programs like SNAP-Ed empower families to see they can cook healthy meals affordably,” Bennett said. “Helping hungry children is one of the best uses of our tax dollars.”

Bennett is calling on local and state leaders to step in with replacement funding to keep the program alive.

Although SNAP-Ed’s in-person operations will end, some of its online nutrition education resources will remain accessible to the public.