Ending Child Hunger in Texas
Date Posted: 11/30/2023
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service released a report detailing household food security in the United States in 2022. The data shows that Texas has the second-highest hunger rate in the country following Arkansas.
A staggering 15.5% of households in Texas reported having low or very low food security from 2020-22, and 5.8% of households reported having very low food security. This is higher than the national average of 11.2% and 4.3%. From 2017-19 to 2020-22, Texas saw a 2.4% increase in food insecurity.
Food security is defined by the United States Department of Agriculture in multiple ways. High food security essentially means that there are no reported food-access problems or limitations, while low food security refers to reports of reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet with little or no indication of reduced food intake. Very low food security does, however, point to reduced food intake, as well as multiple indications of disrupted eating patterns.
In 2022, the percentage of households with children with very low food security was 5.5% among children younger than 18 years old and 5.4% among children younger than 6 years old.
According to the charity organization Feeding America, one in six children face hunger, which equates to 1.3 million children in the state. When it comes to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, 53.4% of households that receive those benefits have children. Black households were amongst the highest in reporting very low food security with 9.2% nationwide. According to the USDA report, Hispanic households were also high in reporting very low food security at 7%.
SNAP helps households buy several different food items such as fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, breads, cereals, snack foods, non-alcoholic beverages, and seeds and plants that produce food for the household to eat.
There are many ways to help end child hunger, including donating to various charitable organizations and volunteering. Changes to school meal policies also help; some school districts in Texas now offer free breakfast and lunch to all students with no forms needed, such as Irving ISD. The charity organization No Kid Hungry also focuses on federal programs that can help make a difference for hungry children, including the school breakfast program, the national summer meals program, and the afterschool meals program. Without help from these programs, summer can be one of the hardest times for children who have low food security.
Feeding America provides several resources to help act against food insecurity. This includes donation options and volunteering opportunities. No Kid Hungry has similar resources, including showcasing brands that have partnered with the organization. They all share the same message: Together, we can stop child hunger.
A staggering 15.5% of households in Texas reported having low or very low food security from 2020-22, and 5.8% of households reported having very low food security. This is higher than the national average of 11.2% and 4.3%. From 2017-19 to 2020-22, Texas saw a 2.4% increase in food insecurity.
Food security is defined by the United States Department of Agriculture in multiple ways. High food security essentially means that there are no reported food-access problems or limitations, while low food security refers to reports of reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet with little or no indication of reduced food intake. Very low food security does, however, point to reduced food intake, as well as multiple indications of disrupted eating patterns.
In 2022, the percentage of households with children with very low food security was 5.5% among children younger than 18 years old and 5.4% among children younger than 6 years old.
According to the charity organization Feeding America, one in six children face hunger, which equates to 1.3 million children in the state. When it comes to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, 53.4% of households that receive those benefits have children. Black households were amongst the highest in reporting very low food security with 9.2% nationwide. According to the USDA report, Hispanic households were also high in reporting very low food security at 7%.
SNAP helps households buy several different food items such as fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, breads, cereals, snack foods, non-alcoholic beverages, and seeds and plants that produce food for the household to eat.
There are many ways to help end child hunger, including donating to various charitable organizations and volunteering. Changes to school meal policies also help; some school districts in Texas now offer free breakfast and lunch to all students with no forms needed, such as Irving ISD. The charity organization No Kid Hungry also focuses on federal programs that can help make a difference for hungry children, including the school breakfast program, the national summer meals program, and the afterschool meals program. Without help from these programs, summer can be one of the hardest times for children who have low food security.
Feeding America provides several resources to help act against food insecurity. This includes donation options and volunteering opportunities. No Kid Hungry has similar resources, including showcasing brands that have partnered with the organization. They all share the same message: Together, we can stop child hunger.