Children’s HealthWatch is deeply concerned about the growing rates of food insecurity in the United States, especially for young children. According to the Household Food Security in the United States in 2023 report, released by the US Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service on September 4th 2024, an estimated 17.9% of households with children were food insecure some time in 2023. Although this was not a statistically significant increase from 2022 (17.3%), an additional 435,000 children experienced lack of enough food for an active, healthy life in 2023.
Food insecurity rates continue to show inequities by race and ethnicity. The percentage of food insecurity among white, non-Hispanic households with children was 13.3%, while the percentage for Black, non-Hispanic households was 27.5% and for Hispanic households, 26%. We must contend with how programs and policies need to consider equity and accessibility to ensure a household’s race or ethnicity does not make them more likely to be food insecure.
Research from Children’s HealthWatch and others shows that food insecurity has detrimental effects on child and family health and well-being. Even short periods of deprivation in the first years of life can harm children’s health and development and have lifelong consequences. The 2023 food insecurity data show a continued lack of political will to make fundamental, equitable, inclusive policy changes to address root causes of hunger – especially because we already know how to do it.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government provided additional support by increasing nutrition benefits and offering flexibilities in programs. Through boosts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, universal school meals in districts across the country, investments in emergency housing resources, and more, as a nation we put resources into the hands of families with children. Additionally, with the American Rescue Plan, Congress expanded the Child Tax Credit to provide a nearly universal child allowance distributed monthly. These payments were associated with a 26% reduction in food insufficiency, a measure comparable with more severe levels of food insecurity, in households with children. After Congress failed to make the expansion to the Child Tax credit permanent food insufficiency increased by 25%.
To underscore – when government chose to invest in critical programs and provide families adequate resources to make ends meet, food insecurity decreased. Since the end of those supports, families have returned to struggling to make ends meet amid rising costs of living. We urge Congress to make critical investments in children and their families as we know the cost of not doing so is far greater.
To stem the tide of food insecurity in this country we call upon Congress to do the following:
Protect and strengthen SNAP in the upcoming Farm Bill. SNAP is the nation’s first line of defense against food insecurity, yet the benefit amount is too low to truly support families’ health and wellness.
Ensure the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) has the necessary funding to serve all families who want to participate in the program. Anything less will place pregnant women, mothers, babies, and young children on waiting lists to receive the nutrition they need today.
Provide direct rental assistance and other housing supports. Food insecurity does not happen in a vacuum and families that experience lack of access to food often face housing instability.
Pass a permanent, expanded, and inclusive Child Tax Credit. We saw the impact the expanded Child Tax Credit had during COVID. We know it works to address food insecurity and poverty by providing families with critically needed resources.
Providing families with the resources needed to keep food on their table and a roof over their head will have lasting, positive impacts for children, their families, and this country. Families cannot wait any longer. Congress must make critically needed investments in anti-poverty programs to ensure families with children have the resources needed to grow and thrive.
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