California has a hunger problem, and it’s hurting our kids. We need a solution for food insecurity
Young children need food to grow and develop, but today 2 million of California’s children live in low-income households without consistent access to enough food.
We are physicians, not mathematicians, but we see how the numbers don’t add up for many families: high rent and childcare costs equal less money for nutritionally adequate food and poor health for all household members.
Lack of nutritious food is especially devastating for children. Research shows that the stress and adversity experienced in childhood affects us into adulthood. Babies born to mothers who are food insecure are more likely to have low birth weight. Children who experience food insecurity are at greater risk for developmental delay, anemia, and challenges in school. They also have higher rates of conditions like obesity, asthma, and depression.
While these complications may seem obvious, it can be challenging to identify food insecurity as the cause. For example, one of our 14-year-old patients was transferred from school to school because he was acting out and disrupting class. He was started on medication to help control his behavior.
Most attributed his behavior to the hospitalization of his grandmother (and primary caregiver). However, we discovered he lacked access to breakfast or dinner at home, especially while she was in the hospital – and he wasn’t enrolled in the school meal program.
We helped get him enrolled and referred him to other nutrition support services. Within months, his weight plateaued, we took him off medications, and he was able to complete the rest of the school year without another transfer. He even got better grades.
Stories like these highlight the importance of screening for food insecurity and other sources of toxic stress. Fortunately, Gov. Gavin Newsom has taken a keen interest in better serving our state’s youngest children.
Beginning Jan. 1, thanks to new state funding, California pediatricians will be better supported in screening for the types of stress and adversity our patient experienced. Early identification should improve patients’ treatment and referrals to fend off costly consequences of trauma.
While this is a positive step for health care providers in California, we must do more outside of the exam room, too.
Programs like WIC, CalFresh, and free and reduced-price school meals, help families make ends meet. They promote lower rates of obesity, decrease behavioral problems, and increase graduation rates.
Unfortunately, California does a poor job of ensuring access to these programs. More than 30% of eligible Californians miss out on the benefits of CalFresh, ranking us 47th among the 50 states and DC. California’s WIC participation among those eligible has declined faster than the rest of the nation.
The state should do more to help reach those who qualify. To make it is easier for families to enroll in WIC, we can ensure that all households can complete an application by phone. We can also increase the value of WIC benefits by adding resources for more fruits and vegetables.
Low-income K-12 public school students are guaranteed at least one free or reduced-price meal each school day. Unfortunately, Gov. Newsom vetoed legislation to extend the policy to pre-K students. It’s time to revisit this decision. Even with the current school meal program, more can be done for K-12 students.
Tellingly, many Californians who don’t qualify for help still can’t afford school meals. A national proposal from Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-VT, and Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-MN, points us in the right direction: universally-free school meals.
With new screening expectations launching in 2020, pediatricians will do their best to identify hungry children and help their families receive better access to the resources they need. We call upon Gov. Newsom and state political leaders to enact hunger policies that support children and families throughout California.
This story was originally published December 22, 2019 at 6:00 AM.