Maine Ranks 8th in the Nation for Childhood Food Insecurity
Feeding America report reveals new state-level data on child hunger
July 1, 2010
Auburn, ME – 21.1 percent of children in Maine are experiencing food insecurity, according to new research released today by Feeding America and funded by the ConAgra Foods Foundation, Feeding America’s Leadership Partner in the Fight to End Child Hunger.
Child Food Insecurity in the United States: 2006-2008 reveals 59,687 children under the age of 18 in Maine are now classified as food insecure or what is considered “hungry” or “at risk of hunger.” This is an increase of 1.6% or nearly 4,000 children since the previous study was released in 2007.
Maine continues to rank highest in New England for childhood food insecurity. Massachusetts has a rate of 13 percent, followed by New Hampshire with a rate of 13.3 percent, Connecticut at 15.9 percent and Vermont at 17.8 percent.
“The fact that so many young children in our state do not have the adequate nutrition necessary to grow and develop into healthy adults is heartbreaking. It is all the more tragic when one considers that it is also entirely preventable,” said Rick Small, executive director of Good Shepherd Food-Bank.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) releases an annual report on the state of food insecurity in the United States, which focuses on the general population in each state. This new report delves deeper into the data in order to bring the child hunger statistics to the forefront.
While the recent 2009 USDA food insecurity report revealed that nationally, nearly one in four children is food insecure, determining detailed, state-level estimates on child food insecurity requires looking at a three-year average to increase accuracy and reliability. Though high, Feeding America expects that these estimates will rise over the coming years as the full impact of the economic downturn is taken into account.
Through the support of the ConAgra Foods Foundation, Feeding America contracted nationally-recognized researcher John Cook, Ph.D. to analyze the USDA’s food insecurity raw data in order to provide state-level child food insecurity estimates.
“Research over the past 12 years shows conclusively that food insecurity and hunger are serious threats to children’s health, growth and development, and may even harm young children’s brain architecture,” Cook said.
“This report demonstrates the crisis that our country continues to face at the local level,” said Vicki Escarra, President and CEO of Feeding America. “The fight against hunger is more important than ever. We thank our longtime partners at the ConAgra Foods Foundation for their ongoing support in the fight against child hunger and their commitment to funding critical research, such as this study by Dr. Cook. The data underscores the critical importance of passing the new Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act. We are committed to putting an end to child hunger.”
The ConAgra Foods Foundation has been a dedicated partner of Feeding America for more than 15 years, providing both food and funds in the fight against hunger. ConAgra Foods recently committed $10 million over five years to fight child hunger with Feeding America. This is the largest donation in Feeding America’s history specifically designated to support the fight against child hunger.
“We’re dedicated to helping solve childhood hunger, but to do so we must first understand the need. That’s why the ConAgra Foods Foundation funded this study with Feeding America and Dr. Cook,” said Kori Reed, Executive Director, ConAgra Foods Foundation. “Knowing where children are most in need of our support will allow us to better direct our funding and resources to provide the most relief. It will also bring all of us one step closer to ending child hunger in America.”
The states with the highest rates of child food insecurity for children under the age of 18 include:
State |
Rate |
Arkansas |
24.4% |
Texas |
24.3% |
Arizona |
24.2% |
District of Columbia |
23.7% |
Missouri |
23.2% |
Mississippi |
22.7% |
Georgia |
22.5% |
Maine |
21.1% |
South Carolina |
21.1% |
Florida |
20.8% |
Oregon |
20.8% |
The full report, including a complete list of all 50 states, is available at http://feedingamerica.org/our-network/the-studies/child-food-insecurity.aspx
