Hunger and Starvation - - Is it Natural?

Childhood Hunger

As a nation, we have a special responsibility to vulnerable populations, including children. Children are in special need of proper nutrition to help them avoid the consequences undernutrition can have on their economic security as adults.

In November of 2001 America's Second Harvest released its third and most comprehensive study of hunger in the United States: Hunger in America 2001. The following are some key findings of the study regarding children our country:

• Over 9 million children are the recipients of food from either a pantry, kitchen or shelter within the network of America's Second Harvest.

• Among all members of client households, 9.1% of pantry recipients are ages 0 to 5; 7.7% are shelter clients.

• 75.7% of all client households with children under the age of 18 are food insecure; an estimated 2.6 million households.

• Among all members of client households, 18.4% of kitchen clients stated that their child/children had skipped meals within the last 12 months because there wasn't enough money for food.

• 22.2% of shelter clients indicated that their child/children was/were hungry at least once during the previous 12 months but couldn't afford more food.

• 26.3% of all client households stated that their child/children were sometimes or often not eating enough during the previous 12 months because they just couldn't afford enough food; an estimated 0.9 million households.

• Among all client households with at least one child under the age of 18; 63.2% utilize the school lunch program and 49.9% the school breakfast program.

• 52.5% of all client households with at least one child age 0 to 5 are enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC); an increase from 31% in 1997.

• 61.9% of agencies run feeding programs that target children only: Kids Cafes, youth after-school programs, child day care programs, and summer camps for low-income clients.

• 46.2% of pantry programs indicated there are "many more children in the summer," while 68.2% of kitchen programs indicated an increase during the same time of year.