{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,10]],"date-time":"2026-09-10T06:38:34Z","timestamp":1789022314778,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"American Public Health Association","issue":"11","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Am J Public Health"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,11]]},"abstract":"<jats:p> Objectives. To understand the experiences of families with low income in California with pandemic safety net support expansions and retractions, including barriers to program access. <\/jats:p><jats:p> Methods. Using open-ended questions, we explored the self-reported experiences of pandemic-era safety net expansions and expirations between January and June 2023 among a group of caregivers of young children (n\u2009=\u200944). We used the Immersion-Crystallization technique to analyze the data, creating a codebook and identifying themes as they emerged. <\/jats:p><jats:p> Results. We identified 4 main themes, including appreciation for safety net expansions, varied experiences because of the timing of supports, challenges meeting basic needs after expirations, and administrative burdens significantly impairing program access. <\/jats:p><jats:p> Conclusions. The study themes highlighted how expansions to policies like the Child Tax Credit and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program improved food and housing security, and that unpredictable benefits, although appreciated, also added stress. <\/jats:p><jats:p> Public Health Implications. State and federal policymakers should consider the poverty reduction and food and housing security benefits of expansions to pandemic-era supports that have expired when crafting future policy. They should pay special attention to addressing administrative barriers to reduce poverty-related health inequities. ( Am J Public Health. 2025;115(11):1836\u20131847. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2105\/AJPH.2025.308201 ) <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.2105\/ajph.2025.308201","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,28]],"date-time":"2025-08-28T20:00:28Z","timestamp":1756411228000},"page":"1836-1847","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Lived Experiences of Families Navigating Safety Net Expansions and Retractions During the Pandemic: A Qualitative Study"],"prefix":"10.2105","volume":"115","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-7018-093X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nicole","family":"Fern\u00e1ndez-Vi\u00f1a","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Nicole Fern\u00e1ndez-Vi\u00f1a and Lia C.\u2009H. Fernald are with the Division of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley. Rita Hamad and Kaitlyn E. Jackson are with the Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA. Wendi Gosliner is with the Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Oakland, CA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1555-4607","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lia C.\u2009H.","family":"Fernald","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nicole Fern\u00e1ndez-Vi\u00f1a and Lia C.\u2009H. Fernald are with the Division of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley. Rita Hamad and Kaitlyn E. Jackson are with the Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA. Wendi Gosliner is with the Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Oakland, CA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0730-4077","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rita","family":"Hamad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nicole Fern\u00e1ndez-Vi\u00f1a and Lia C.\u2009H. Fernald are with the Division of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley. Rita Hamad and Kaitlyn E. Jackson are with the Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA. Wendi Gosliner is with the Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Oakland, CA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5154-1494","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kaitlyn E.","family":"Jackson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nicole Fern\u00e1ndez-Vi\u00f1a and Lia C.\u2009H. Fernald are with the Division of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley. Rita Hamad and Kaitlyn E. Jackson are with the Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA. Wendi Gosliner is with the Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Oakland, CA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wendi","family":"Gosliner","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nicole Fern\u00e1ndez-Vi\u00f1a and Lia C.\u2009H. Fernald are with the Division of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley. Rita Hamad and Kaitlyn E. Jackson are with the Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA. Wendi Gosliner is with the Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Oakland, CA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"844","reference":[{"key":"bib1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph19052747"},{"key":"bib2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jamahealthforum.2023.4237"},{"key":"bib8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1377\/hlthaff.2022.00733"},{"key":"bib9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S1368980024001447"},{"key":"bib10","first-page":"100224","volume":"10","author":"Bryant A","year":"2022","journal-title":"Lancet Reg Health Am."},{"key":"bib11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.17016\/feds.2023.046"},{"key":"bib12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jamahealthforum.2023.2511"},{"key":"bib13","author":"Blanchard OJ","journal-title":"National Bureau of Economic Research Working Papers."},{"key":"bib14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-023-16037-4"},{"key":"bib15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1377\/hlthaff.2022.00713"},{"issue":"4","key":"bib16","first-page":"133","volume":"25","author":"Chu L","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Ment Health Policy Econ."},{"key":"bib17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1176\/appi.ps.202100001"},{"key":"bib18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhealeco.2016.01.005"},{"key":"bib19","author":"Hamilton C","journal-title":"Poverty & Social Policy Brief."},{"key":"bib20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7758\/9781610448789"},{"key":"bib22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2022.30150"},{"key":"bib23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/nu12061867"},{"key":"bib24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/nu14224919"},{"key":"bib25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/nu14163358"},{"key":"bib27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2022.29514"},{"key":"bib28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2022.34438"},{"key":"bib29","volume-title":"Expiration of Pandemic Relief Led to Record Increases in Poverty and Child Poverty in 2022.","author":"Trisi D.","year":"2024"},{"key":"bib30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1377\/hlthaff.2023.01566"}],"container-title":["American Journal of Public Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/ajph.aphapublications.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.2105\/AJPH.2025.308201","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,8]],"date-time":"2025-10-08T20:02:07Z","timestamp":1759953727000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/ajph.aphapublications.org\/doi\/full\/10.2105\/AJPH.2025.308201"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,11]]},"references-count":23,"journal-issue":{"issue":"11","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,11]]}},"alternative-id":["10.2105\/AJPH.2025.308201"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2105\/ajph.2025.308201","relation":{},"ISSN":["0090-0036","1541-0048"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0090-0036","type":"print"},{"value":"1541-0048","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,11]]}}}