Proper nutrition is a
crucial piece of development for every child. For more than 16 million children
in this country the only hot meal received during the day comes from the school
cafeteria. The school system can take an
active role in offering continued support through the summer months by offering
nutrition, education, and play time through a summer nutrition program.
Food insecurity is a concern
for many children in the United States. Food insecurity refers to lack of
access to enough food for a healthy lifestyle for all members of an active
household. In the world’s wealthiest nation 1 in 5 children are not able to get
the proper nutrition needed to thrive, grow, and succeed. Improper nutrition not
only affects children physically, but mentally.
Hungry school-aged children lose the ability to concentrate, struggle
with sub-par academic performance, and often have headaches and stomach pains (Hunger in our
Schools) .
Studies show that children who suffer from food insecurity are more likely to
become ill and less likely to graduate from high school and go on to
college.
There are more than 32 million children
participating in the free or reduced school lunch programs across the United
States with 12 million taking advantage of the free breakfast program. For many of these children, this is the only
guaranteed meal throughout the day (Healthy Schools) . What can be done to ensure that these
children still have the needed nutrition once school is out for summer? A summer nutrition program would ensure that
children in the community would still have access to a nutritious meal when
school is out for summer.
The summer nutrition program
was introduced in 1968 as a pilot program.
The Summer Food Service program, or SFSP, is a federally-funded program
administered at the federal level by the US Department of Agriculture. The
program is administered on a local level by the State education agency and run
by state approved sponsors, such as school districts, local government agencies
or not for profit organizations. Free meals are provided to children in the
community under the age of 18 that qualify for the free or reduced lunch
program. The program is administered at designated sites; these sites can range
from the local community center or a school. Funding for the program comes from funds
appropriated by congress and each working summer nutrition program site is
awarded $1.98 for each breakfast, $3.47 for each lunch, and .82¢ for each snack (USDA) .
In order for these programs to be effective,
the community must be made aware of their availability and how to apply for
assistance. Thanks to campaigns such as
the No Kid Hungry initiative, access has become easier. The No Kid Hungry –
Share our Strength program was created in a basement on Capitol Hill in 1984 in
response to the famine in Ethiopia in 1983-84. Siblings Bill and Debbie Shore
started the organization with the belief that everyone has strength to share in
the global fight on hunger. The fight is
now focused on ending childhood hunger in America. No Kid Hungry has a network of private
citizens, nonprofit organizations, and volunteers working together to implement
programs to not only keep children fed, but making sure each child in this
country has access to healthy food (Our Priority: Ending Childhood
Hunger in America) .
Childhood food insecurity
and hunger are more than just educational problem for teachers during the
school year. Prolonged hunger blossoms into health problems, workforce
problems, and job readiness problems. Chronic under nutrition between the
crucial ages of development, 0 to 3 years old, can lead to abnormal cognitive
and fundamental neurological development.
Employees that suffered from prolonged hunger as children grow into a
workforce with lower levels of education and technical skills (John Cook 2) .
The first three years of life are the most
important when considering proper nutrition. Under nourished children suffer
mentally, physically, and academically. Children
from food insecure households often display more social and behavioral problems
and lack the energy to socially interact with peers. Educating parents on the
importance of feeding children the proper nutrients and proper amounts of food
are crucial for a happy, healthy child. Federal
programs have been created to ensure that children at risk have access to the
food and support needed for the best chance at a healthy life. Understanding
the importance of proper nutrition and the impact that a healthy diet can have
on a child, both mentally and physically, is a crucial lesson for every parent.
Positive food influences begin in the home. Teaching parents to make better
choices not only for themselves but their children starts with proper nutritional
education. Studies show that families
from food insecure households often purchase inexpensive food items in bulk
that are not necessarily healthy, and eat it several times a week. To combat
these unhealthy practices, The Cooking Matters program has been implemented in
some states. This program offers
instruction to parents of at risk, low income children on food purchasing,
making and following a budget, and preparing delicious, nutritious meals Giving
parents the necessary tools to properly feed and nourish the children in their
care also gives a measure of control over future health care costs. Properly nourished families spend less time
away from work and school due to illness. Prolonged food insecurity can lead to
high health care costs, hospitalizations, and absenteeism (John Cook) . Food insecurity and
prolonged hunger can also lead to another troubling area in our society;
obesity.
Children from food insecure
families are at a greater risk of suffering from obesity than children from
food secure households. According to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children who are obese are likely
to grow up to be obese adults (Childhood Obesity Facts) . Childhood obesity
is steadily on the rise in the US.
Children between the ages of 6-11 who are obese have increased more than
18% since 1980. These numbers are slightly higher in African American and
Hispanic communities. Thoughts on how
American children have gotten to this point vary. One theory is that the
American lifestyle has changed drastically from the early 1980s. Children
walked to school, ran and played at recess, attended a daily gym class and went
outside to play after school. Children today spend hours playing video games,
watching television, and are lucky to have gym class once a week, if at all. The
average child in the US spends an average of 7 ½ hours a day in front of a
screen – TV, computer, video game, or cell phone. Obesity can be linked to
numerous health problems, from heart disease and joint degeneration to
hypertension and diabetes (John Cook 17) . Though obesity is on the rise in the youth of
this country, it is a completely preventable problem. Healthy eating habits, physical activity, and
an overall healthy lifestyle are a few steps that can be taken to fight
obesity.
In 2010, the Wal-Mart
Foundation made the commitment to give $2 billion toward the fight against
hunger through cash and donations. In an effort to keep children from low
income areas properly feed and on the move, Wal-Mart has partnered with the
YMCA to offer not only nutritious meals, but activities to get the body moving While
participating in the summer nutrition program through the YMCA, children will
receive up to two meals per day, depending on the location. The children will also have the opportunity
to participate in learning and recreational activities. The select sites across the country that have
partnered with Wal-Mart have made the mission for the summer to encourage
physical activity, build strong bodies, and educate families on the benefits of
proper nutrition.
The YMCA of Dyer County in
Dyersburg, Tennessee is just one example of a successful summer program that
was executed perfectly, making a tremendous difference in the community. The area served by the Dyer County YMCA has
more than 5,000 children who are labeled at risk and qualify for the summer
nutrition program. These 5,000
participants were fed across a total of 17 sites, but the staffers didn’t stop
there. The children participated in what
was dubbed the “Dine and Dash”. Participants were taught the importance of not
only eating right through nutrition classes, but emphasis was placed on daily
physical activity to combat obesity and other chronic diseases. During the 2012
Dine and Dash session more than 21,000 lunches and 8,000 breakfasts were served
across the 17 feeding sites. The summer activities culminated with a back to
school party where children met with educators from local schools in an effort
to gear up and get excited about the coming school year.
Due to the high number of illiterate
adults in Tennessee, the summer program has grown beyond nutrition and fitness
to literacy. According to the Tennessee
Literacy Coalition, one in every eight adults in Tennessee cannot read (Adult
Literacy Facts) . Due to these statistics, the Early Literacy
for Families program was created to foster a love of reading early on for the
children in the community. These
programs implemented in Tennessee have not only improved the quality of life
for the adult residents in Dyer County, it has given the young people a
fighting chance at a successful future.
Childhood hunger in the
United States is a preventable problem, but more needs to be done to reach the
underprivileged and underserved demographics in this great nation. No child in the United States should ever go
to bed hungry, sick, or afraid. The
children that are hungry, suffering from both physical and psychological
problems today, make up the workforce of tomorrow. If our country is to go forth and prosper
with employees who thrive, Americans must make the choice now: to reach out and
offer programs to help feed and motivate our youth or to turn a blind eye and
label it “not my problem”. Providing
nutritious meals, education for a healthier life, and activities to keep little
bodies that are at risk moving in this country is certainly a challenge. But,
it should be a challenge that all Americans are willing to accept. Healthy, well fed children are happy children
and that should be the ultimate, attainable goal.
Cited Sources
"Adult Literacy Facts." 2012. Tennessee
Literacy Coalition. 6 May 2013
<http://tnliteracy.org/resources/facts>.
"Child Hunger
Facts." 2013. Feeding America. 2 May 2013
<http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-facts/child-hunger-facts.aspx#_edn1>.
"Child Nutrition
Programs." 11 July 2012. US Department of Agriculture. 2 May 2013
<http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/child-nutrition-programs/summer-food-service-program.aspx#.UYKfFLXqkpg>.
"Childhood Obesity
Facts." 19 February 2013. CDC. 5 May 2013
<http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm>.
"Healthy
Schools." Let's Move! 4 May 2013
<http://www.letsmove.gov/healthy-schools>.
"Hunger in our
Schools." 2012. Share Our Strength. 4 May 2013 <http://join.strength.org/site/DocServer/2012-teacher-report-final.pdf?docID=8901>.
John Cook, PhD., Karen
Jeng, AB. Child Food Insecurity: The Economic Impact on our Nation.
Chicago: Feeding America, 2009.
"Our Priority:
Ending Childhood Hunger in America." 2013. No Kid Hungry. 5 May
2013 <http://www.nokidhungry.org/about-us>.
USDA. "Summer Food
Service Program." 11 February 2013. United States Department of
Agriculture. 4 May 2013
<http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/summer/FAQs.htm#10>.
