Ads Planned to Tell Poor Families How to Get Food Stamps

WASHINGTON —  A new public service campaign was announced Friday by the Advertising Council to let millions of poor families know that they may be eligible for government food stamps.

As many as 20 million Americans who are not currently getting food stamps may be eligible for the program, said John Driggs, the council’s volunteer chairman and a member of the President’s Task Force on Food Assistance.

The budget President Reagan sent to Congress this week calls for some tightening of food stamp regulations in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1 and a reduction in participation.

According to Agriculture Department’s budget analysis, food stamp spending will decline to about $11.5 billion from nearly $11.7 billion estimated for this year. Because of the tightened rules, which will require congressional approval, and an expected decline in unemployment, the department expects 1987 food stamp participation to decline by about 210,000 people to an average of 19.5 million.