Child Nutrition—A Critical Foundation
Part 2: Hunger and the Economy—the Far-reaching Effects of Child Hunger
A new report—Child Food Insecurity: The Economic Impact on Our Nation—focuses on the impact of food insecurity and hunger on child health, growth, and development, and also details the economic effect of child hunger in America. The results may surprise you.
The report’s author, John Cook, Ph.D., of the Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine, a nationally-recognized expert on child hunger, says that there are lifelong consequences of child food insecurity: “The impact of child hunger is more far reaching than one might anticipate. Child food insecurity creates billions of dollars in costs to our society. Child hunger affects a child’s health, education, and job readiness.”
The study explains the long term impact child hunger can have on the American economy:
- Child hunger first causes health problems. Hungry children are sick more often, and are more likely to suffer physical, emotional, and developmental impairment.
- Child hunger then leads to educational problems. Under-nutrition before the age of three changes the neurological architecture of the brain and central nervous system, harming a child’s ability to learn. Hungry children have lower academic achievement.
- Ultimately, child hunger leads to workforce and job readiness problems. Adults who experienced hunger as children are not well-prepared mentally, emotionally, physically, or socially to perform in a work environment.
“This is the first report to show the direct, tax-payer burden inflicted by child hunger—along with a clear link to long-term impacts, such as life-time earnings and the ripple effects through our economy,” said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America. “It calls into question whether ongoing economic recovery can be sustained if child hunger is not eliminated; we can only achieve a prosperous future for all Americans if we ensure, right now, that all children have access to enough nutritious food for active, healthy lives.
“It is also important to note in this context, however, that the Federal Government plays a very significant role in providing food to children at risk of hunger,” Escarra added. “The recent stimulus bills and increases in funding for USDA nutrition programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program), and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) have made great strides in ensuring that more low-income children and their families have increased access to food. The Federal Government is the largest provider of food to at-risk children.”
Feeding America urges Congress to take note of these important findings as they prepare to reauthorize funding for critical Child Nutrition Programs. The future of every child—and the American economy—depends on it.
The report was issued by Feeding America on July 1, 2009, and was funded with a grant from the ConAgra Foods Foundation. Read the complete report at www.feedingamerica.org/recovery.
Federal Appropriations Support Local Hunger Relief
One of the most important parts of public policy is the federal appropriations process. Every year, Congress—under the direction of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees—considers appropriations measures that provide and distribute funding for many government operations and programs.
Feeding America advocates actively working with Members of Congress to ensure funding for programs that promote hunger relief.
The House has passed its Agriculture Appropriations bill. The Senate is still considering its bill. Once both the House and Senate have each passed their versions of the legislation, they will go to conference to reconcile their differences. Among the priorities that Feeding America supports are:
- The full authorization for storage and distribution funding for the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).
- Expanded caseload for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) in existing states and new funding to add additional CSFP states.
- $15 million for Food Bank Infrastructure Grants.
- Funding for additional states in the after school supper program.
Can you have an influence on the federal appropriations process? The answer is yes! One of the best ways you can get involved is by sharing your voice with your legislators. Here are a few tips:
- Understand hunger—visit Feeding America where you can learn more about hunger issues and the role the federal government plays in hunger relief.
- Make it personal—send a letter to your legislators and share your own experiences with hunger. This will help them understand how hunger affects the people in your community.
- Follow up your letters with personal phone calls to your legislators’ local and national offices.
Visit the Hunger Action Center, where communicating with your legislators is easy! Let’s work together to make sure hunger relief is a top priority during the appropriations process.
Hunger Action Month is Coming—September 2009!
Give a Little Time for Hunger Relief!
It’s time to make every minute count for hunger—and during Hunger Action Month you’ll have many opportunities to give a little time for hunger relief!
Hunger Action Month is Feeding America’s most important national initiative of the year—it’s a nationwide effort to engage America in the fight against hunger. All month long, communities across the country will hold events large and small to bring us together in this important cause.
This year, Hunger Action Month will focus on the fight against child hunger—with Child Nutrition Reauthorization just around the corner, we’ll get the word out about the importance of government funding for Child Nutrition Programs.
And you won’t want to miss the Food Bank Competition! Our goal is to generate as many actions as possible throughout the month to support the fight against child hunger. You can earn minutes for every action you take—and your accumulated minutes will be added to your food bank’s total minute tally. As your minutes add up, you might help win a donation for your local food bank!
Visit the Hunger Action Center for updates on Hunger Action Month and watch your inbox for more information.