“This new USDA data confirms what we already know,” said Gromley. “Too many kids face hunger in our country, and our elected leaders must come together to invest in the programs that work.”
Contact: Ryan Flaherty, rflaherty@strength.org
9/4/24, WASHINGTON, DC — Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released its annual report, Household Food Security in the United States in 2023, showing 1 in 5 children live in food insecure households. The following is a statement from Jason Gromley, Senior Director for Share Our Strength and its No Kid Hungry campaign:
“This trend is going the wrong direction. Nearly 14 million kids now face hunger. To see childhood hunger grow again after last year’s staggering increase is tragic and shows we are still not doing enough to ensure children in America are well nourished and families have the resources to meet their most basic needs.
“What makes this report more disappointing is that we know how to end childhood hunger. Just five years ago, we were seeing historic drops in food insecurity. During the pandemic, smart investments by our government kept kids and families fed. Now that those investments have been rolled back, that progress is being erased, and we’re seeing the dire need to address the root causes of hunger.
“Policies that invest in kids and families are critical, especially in communities of color who experience persistent disparities. Food insecurity rates are substantially higher than the national average for Black households with children (27.5%) and Hispanic households with children (26%).
“Congress needs to act now. With the Farm Bill set to expire in a matter of weeks, we have a chance to make meaningful investments to SNAP - one of our most powerful anti-hunger tools which helps nearly 40 million Americans buy groceries. If our lawmakers are serious about ending hunger, they’ll move forward with legislation that protects and strengthens SNAP.
“Likewise, we had an opportunity this year to pass an expansion of the Child Tax Credit, a proven lifeline for hard working families trying to make ends meet. But despite overwhelming bipartisan support in the House, election year partisanship in the Senate prevented passage. These partisan divisions do nothing to help kids and families. Instead, they keep critical funds from millions of families that would help them pay for essentials, like food, diapers, and child care.
“When our lawmakers set aside their differences, we get transformational improvements like the new SUN Bucks program that launched this summer, reaching an estimated 22 million kids with grocery benefits. It’s the first new federal nutrition program in decades, working alongside newly expanded SUN Meals To-Go and traditional summer meals programs to make sure kids get the food they need during the hungriest time of year.
“These transformational improvements to summer meals programs prove meaningful progress can be achieved. Heading into an election, Americans agree that leaders at all levels of government should be prioritizing this issue. This year, No Kid Hungry conducted statewide polls in New York, Florida, Texas and Virginia - and in every state, more than 90% of respondents agreed fighting child hunger should be a bipartisan issue.
“This new USDA data confirms what we already know. Too many kids face hunger in our country, and our elected leaders must come together to invest in the programs that work. Congress should focus on strengthening SNAP and expanding the Child Tax Credit. Meanwhile, we need state lawmakers to implement new summer innovations in every state.
"When we know the solutions are available, there is no excuse for not investing in our kids' futures."
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About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But millions of kids in the United States live with hunger. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty.