In the commemorative framework of the awareness on child support to be held each year during the month of August, new studies indicate that in the United States around 34 million people suffer from food insecurity, of which 9 million are children, which means that 1 out of every 6 infants lives in conditions of poverty.
According to the study, the cause of the problem is the economic situation of their parents, the rise in food prices, the high cost of services, inflation, and the reduction of financial programs for people in vulnerable situations.
There are many factors that have led to an increase in the poverty situation of American families each year, highlighting one of them the COVID-19 pandemic that struck hunger in the United States, this skyrocketed when millions of families faced unemployment, bills without pay for hospitals and services, evictions for non-payment, among other hardships.
No Kid Hungrya national campaign led by Share Our Strength, a nonprofit organization working to solve the problems of hunger and poverty in the United States and around the world, as well as other organizations fought to help families, including federal relief packages, a temporary increase in benefits of SNAP and waivers that allowed schools and community organizations to tailor their programs.
According to the study, with these programs, it was possible to reduce child hunger in the United States considerably in 2021. However, more recent studies indicate that 1 in 6 children in the United States live in poverty, in this sense the organization personal finance WalletHub published a report on the States with the most disadvantaged children of 2023in order to celebrate the month of August “Child Support Awareness”.
Bad nutrition
Children who lack a good diet and the necessary nutrients are more likely to have academic difficulties and repeat grades, among other challenges, according to child nutrition analysts and physicians.
On the other hand, there is the greater threat to families that depend on plans such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) of the United States Department of Agriculture, since the emergency allocations granted during the pandemic are starting to expire. Children are especially vulnerable as schools close for the summer and millions of low-income students face months without free lunches.
The study WalletHub compared 50 states and the District of Columbia ranging from the proportion of children in households with income below poverty, to the rate of child food insecurity, and the proportion of children who are maltreated.
Regarding the issue related to the proportion of children in households with income below poverty, the study indicated that 1 in 6 children lives in poverty, and according to the Children’s Defense Fund, a child is abused or neglected every 48 seconds.
The states with the largest number of children facing problems of lack of good nutrition according to the study WalletHub They are: Alaska, Nevada, Mississippi, South Carolina, New Mexico, Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio, District of Columbia, Alabama, Arkansas, South Dakota, Louisiana, Maine, Arizona, Indiana, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Montana, and California.
Louisiana has the highest rate of child food insecurity, 21.60 percent, which is 2.9 times higher than North Dakota, the state with the lowest at 7.50 percent. While the State of Mississippi has the most infant deaths (per 1,000 live births), nine, which is three times that of North Dakota. Maine has the highest rate of child abuse, 1.66 percent, which is 10.4 times higher than New Jersey, the state with the lowest at 0.16 percent.
In September of last year, President Joe Biden announced a plan to fight hunger in the United States through an investment of 8,000 million dollars. “In the US, no child should go to bed hungry, and no parent should die of a preventable disease,” Trump told a conference on nutrition and health.
There are many non-profit and government organizations in the United States, trying to reduce and prevent the spread of poverty and hunger in the country. However, everything indicates that the migration situation would be one more unfavorable element that could stop the intentions of ending poverty and food insecurity not only for children, but also for the family in general.
@iraimag
FOUNTAIN: TELE MUNDO, Wallethub
