Deschutes Children’s Foundation (DCF) and MountainStar Family Relief Nursery (MountainStar) are sounding the alarm as families across Central Oregon begin to feel the effects of increasing barriers to accessing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits — including delays, reductions, and disrupted eligibility. Both organizations warn that thousands of children and caregivers will experience immediate hardship if benefit instability continues, especially if benefits completely stop on November 1.
“Families are already telling us they are being forced to choose between food, rent, medicine, or gas, and SNAP has made the difference between stability and crisis,” said Cassi MacQueen, Executive Director of DCF. “Nonprofits are stepping up every day, but we cannot replace SNAP. Cuts or delays to this program don’t just hurt budgets, they create trauma for children.”
SNAP is widely considered the most critical anti-hunger program in the nation. In Central Oregon, it’s also deeply intertwined with child welfare, health stability, and economic resilience. When SNAP fails, the entire nonprofit network absorbs the shock.
“We are already seeing families missing meals, skipping essentials, or delaying health care because they simply cannot stretch support far enough,” said Kara Tachikawa, Executive Director of MountainStar. “Families in crisis don’t have a margin. SNAP helps prevent abuse, neglect, and homelessness before they begin — it is a frontline child safety tool, not just a food benefit.”
While nonprofits like DCF and MountainStar are committed to supporting families through crises, it’s important to be clear, nonprofits cannot replace SNAP or fill the gap when essential benefits are reduced, delayed, or denied. Nonprofits can stabilize, prevent deeper harm, and respond quickly, but federal nutrition programs are the foundation that keep families from falling into hunger, homelessness, or child welfare involvement in the first place.
“This is not about politics. It is about protecting children and stabilizing families before harm occurs,” said MacQueen. “DCF and MountainStar remain fully committed to serving this community, but we must name the truth: SNAP is essential, and Central Oregon cannot afford to let it fail.”
Founded in 1990, Deschutes Children’s Foundation manages and maintains four nonprofit service centers in Bend, Redmond, and La Pine. By providing collaborative spaces and operational support, DCF empowers its 23 nonprofit partners to focus on their core missions, collectively serving over 19,000 vulnerable children and families each year. For more information, visit deschuteschildrensfoundation.org.
About MountainStar Family Relief Nursery
MountainStar has been serving Central Oregon families for 24 years, providing critical support to families with young children at the greatest risk of abuse and neglect. With five locations in La Pine, Bend, Redmond, Madras, and Prineville, MountainStar offers therapeutic classrooms, home visits, parenting education, and essential resources to keep kids safe and help families thrive. For more information see: www.mtstar.org
Every year, MountainStar provides:
support for over 1,300 young children and family members.
more than 30,000 hours of direct therapeutic support.
over 1,000 home visits to strengthen families.
