As the federal government shutdown stretches on, millions of families who rely on SNAP benefits are left in the lurch, unsure if their benefits will continue past today. Even with two rulings earlier, saying that the federal government must use contingency funds to keep SNAP food aid payments going during the shutdown, many families have so many questions. All this uncertainty has created stress on the 42 million Americans who rely on food assistance programs, including 86-thousand families here in Utah. And those families with children... under even more stress.

This poses some questions: how do you talk to your kids about this ongoing situation? If you lose SNAP benefits -- and may have less food on the table -- how do you talk about that with your kids?

Malinda Frietag, Senior Clinical Director at The Children's Center Utah, joins Maria Shilaos to discuss how young children have been feeling the stress from their parents over the past month, and why it's important to talk to them and reassure them.