COLUMBUS, Ohio - Organizations that serve Ohio children are joining with hunger-fighting groups to address the continuing hunger crisis among the state's youngest residents.

A new brief called Tackling Child Hunger in Ohio from the Ohio Association of Foodbanks and Voices for Ohio's Children looks at what is working in the Buckeye State, and what else can be done to ensure no child is left with an empty stomach.

According to Voices for Ohio's Children CEO Sandy Oxley, one in four Ohio children live in food-insecure households. The anxiety that comes from hunger and where the next meal may be coming from can have a lasting, negative impact on a child's life as they grow into adulthood.

"We can't expect that our children who are hungry will learn at their highest potential or be healthy individuals when they're facing food insecurity and hunger challenges," says Oxley.

While funding exists at the state and federal level for food and nutrition services, Oxley says it hasn't been adequate to meet the need, large numbers of eligible children are not participating, and there are not enough service sites. She says expanded access to free or reduced-priced breakfast and lunches at school, and in after-school settings, can go a long way to ensuring children do not go hungry.

In addition, childhood obesity has more than doubled over the past 30 years. Oxley says poverty and access to nutritious foods plays a factor.

"When a national study of more than 40,000 children found that kids who come from lower-income households had more than two times higher odds of being obese than kids from higher-income households, we can see the direct correlation food insecurity has with obesity," she says.

According to the report, food-insecure children are nearly twice as likely to be in poor health than their peers with adequately nutritious diets.

Oxley says at the federal level, leaders need to look at expanding SNAP benefits, and continue funding next year for the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act, which authorizes all of the federal child-nutrition programs.

"We certainly are going to be working to ensure the policy recommendations not only include adequate funding at the federal level," says Oxley, "but flexibility so states have good implementation and that all the children who are eligible can actually access the program."

Oxley adds that collaborative efforts with organizations across the state, as well as administrative leaders and state departments, will be the key to success in addressing food insecurity among Ohio's children.


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A new program in Indiana will ensure year-round access to nutritious meals for students statewide.

The Summer Electronic Transfer program provides a one-time $120 payment for school-aged children on an EBT card. The card can be used at grocery stores, farmers markets and other retailers.

Emily Weikert Bryant, executive director of Feeding Indiana's Hungry, said history shows programs such as SUN Bucks are effective.

"What we learned from the pandemic is that when we provide benefits like this, allowing families to pickup on behalf of their children made a tremendous difference in reducing food insecurity amongst kids during the pandemic," Weikert Bryant observed. "Particularly during the summer."

Local schools will discuss eligibility with parents and families. Additionally, free meals are available at SUN Meals sites throughout communities. Funding for the initiative is provided by the state and the U-S-D-A.

Weikert Bryant said SUN Bucks serves as a crucial lifeline, ensuring no child goes hungry during the summer months. The program reflects Indiana's commitment to fostering the well-being of Hoosier kids, ensuring they receive nutritious meals to thrive personally and academically. She described who qualifies.

"Children are eligible for the program if the household already participates in SNAP, TANF -- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families -- or income-based Medicaid," Weikert Bryant outlined. "Or if the student has been identified as a ward of the state; a foster child, homeless or migrant."

Those children will automatically receive benefits. Families who do not qualify for those programs but have children who receive free and reduced priced meals need to apply for the program. The application deadline is May 1.


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Alabama is one of 14 states opting out of the 2024 summer electronic benefit program.

As summer rolls around, there will be no programs in place to help low-income families with grocery costs.

LaTrell Clifford Wood, hunger policy advocate for the group Alabama Arise, said as a result, more than 500,000 children who usually receive free or reduced lunch could go without meals. She noted while summer feeding programs will be available, they will not reach everyone in need.

"Ninety-four percent of Alabama children who rely on free and reduced-price meals won't have access to them over the summer," Clifford Wood reported. "That means that only 6% of the children who rely on those meals during the school year are going to be fed through summer feeding programs."

Clifford Wood warned limited hours, transportation and strict program rules will hinder many families from benefiting from such vital programs. The Alabama Legislature did not allocate the necessary $15 million for the program by the end of the last session. However, Clifford Wood noted there is a chance the program will be funded in the summer of 2025.

As legislators focus on next year's budgets, Clifford Wood stressed the need for funding next summer's EBT program. She pointed out Alabama Arise is calling for lawmakers to allocate funds from the Education Trust Fund to combat child hunger, affecting one in four children in the state.

"This is a program that's been tested for 13 years," Clifford Wood emphasized. "It's had three rigorous evaluation periods, and it was shown to improve the diet of children and decrease children's food hardship by a third."

Clifford Wood believes prioritizing children's needs and addressing food insecurity is a form of preventive care and serves as an early investment in the state's overall wellness.

The Food Research and Action Center said funding the e-benefits program would also benefit the economy - adding anywhere from $98 million to $117 million. The Alabama Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee is expected to vote on the budget next week.

California's program helping low-income families buy fresh fruit and vegetables is on the chopping block and health care advocates are asking legislators to save the Market Match program.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed cutting most of the program's $35 million budget to help close the state's budget shortfall.

Sophia Vaccaro, a participant in Market Match from Echo Park, said she depends on Market Match in more ways than one.

"It helps people being able to stretch their budget further," Vaccaro explained. "Then, I think it helps the community, in that it creates a sense of camaraderie at the farmers' market and makes people more invested in the community itself."

The program matches every dollar CalFresh customers spend on fresh fruits and vegetables at a farmer's market up to between $10 and $20 per day. It is active at 294 sites across the state and is partially paid for through federal matching funds.

Dr. John Maa, surgeon at Marin Health Medical Center and board member of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the American Heart Association, said Market Match promotes healthy eating and boosts the local farm economy.

"An improved diet really will have long-term meaningful impacts on health, and also reduce health care costs," Maa explained. "It really helps to sustain the growers and the merchants. I guess it's a win-win-win."

Siu Han Cheung, outreach coordinator for the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation and board member of the Heart of the City Farmers' Market, argued the program is vital to residents across the state.

"If the Market Match will be cut, that is terrible," Cheung stressed. "That means they have less money to buy their food. So, Market Match is very important for the low-income families and the seniors."

Legislators and the governor are working toward the May budget revisions, and must pass a balanced budget by June 15.