Fighting Childhood Hunger and Childhood Food Insecurity

Childhood hunger, also called childhood food insecurity, happens when kids live in households that lack consistent access to enough nutritious food. It affected an estimated 14 million U.S. children in 2024, the most recent year for which data is available, and it can shape a child’s health, development, and school performance for years to come.

When it comes to images of food insecurity in popular culture, nothing seems to capture our attention quite like childhood hunger. From frail-looking youths on infomercials, to “Oliver Twist” and Tiny Tim in “A Christmas Carol,” childhood hunger never fails to tug at our heartstrings.

But beyond the imagery, how much do you actually know about the problem of childhood poverty and food insecurity? Despite the attention it receives in the media, childhood hunger is still a complex and widespread issue that can affect kids’ mental and physical health in the long term.

Key Takeaways

• An estimated 14 million U.S. children lived in food-insecure households in 2024, up from 13.8 million in 2023, according to USDA’s final Household Food Security report.
• 18.4% of U.S. households with children were food insecure in 2024, sharply higher than the two-decade low of 12.5% recorded in 2021.
• Childhood food insecurity is tied to socioeconomic factors, especially poverty, unemployment, and lower median income at the county level.
• Food insecurity among Black, non-Hispanic households with children rose sharply between 2023 and 2024, from 27.5% to 31%, and single-mother households reached 36.8% in 2024.
• In Food Bank of the Rockies’ Colorado and Wyoming service area, 1 in 5 kids experience food insecurity, and on the Western Slope specifically, childhood food insecurity rose 23% in a single year.
• Childhood food insecurity is linked to health issues including asthma, anemia, and stunted development, as well as mental health challenges like anxiety and aggression.
• Federal programs like SNAP, Child Nutrition programs, WIC, and the National School Lunch Program serve as a first line of defense, though not every food-insecure family qualifies.
• Food Bank of the Rockies provides more than 97,000 kids’ meals on average per month.

What to Know About Food Insecurity and Children

Here are the facts: according to USDA’s Household Food Security in the United States in 2024 report, released in December 2025, 14 million children lived in food-insecure households in 2024, up from 13.8 million the year before. This food insecurity can manifest itself in a variety of ways. While some children may not directly experience hunger, they live in households where their parents, older siblings, or other relatives in the home must regularly skip or reduce meals to make ends meet. Other children may live in areas where access to nutritious food is extremely limited either due to geographic proximity or a lack of business investment in the community.

Childhood hunger and food insecurity are tied to a variety of socioeconomic factors, the most prominent being poverty. Counties in the United States with the highest rates of child food insecurity also tend to have notably higher unemployment and poverty rates, and lower median incomes. Single-parent households face the challenge of feeding one or more children on the income of just one adult, resulting in higher rates of food insecurity. No group was affected more by this trend than single-mother households, which reached a food insecurity rate of 36.8% in 2024. Finally, there’s the issue of systemic racial injustice to contend with. According to the USDA’s “Household Food Security in the United States in 2024” report, food insecurity among Black, non-Hispanic households with children rose sharply in just one year, from 27.5% in 2023 to 31% in 2024, a much higher rate than white, non-Hispanic households.

(Note: USDA has announced this will be the final edition of this annual report, which has tracked food insecurity in the United States for more than three decades.)

Why Does Food Insecurity Matter?

Inadequate nutrition can result in troubling consequences for kids’ health at nearly every stage of childhood development. Studies cited by Feeding America show that food-insecure mothers are more likely to experience low infant birth weight and other birthing complications. Children who are living with food insecurity are more likely to develop asthma and anemia, as well as experience stunted development, hospitalizations, and oral health problems. More troubling still, exposure to food insecurity and its accompanying socioeconomic conditions are linked to childhood mental health challenges, including anxiety and aggression, which can further limit a kid’s ability to be a productive student.

What Action Is Being Taken Against Food Insecurity for Children?

So what exactly is being done to combat childhood food insecurity? Federal nutrition programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (better known as SNAP), Child Nutrition programs, and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) serve as a first line of defense against childhood hunger, but many food-insecure kids live in households that aren’t eligible for these kinds of benefits. School nutrition programs have proved to be another effective solution for feeding kids, with nearly 29.4 million children participating in the National School Lunch Program on a typical day in the 2023-2024 school year, and many others receiving additional meals such as school breakfast or taking advantage of summer food service programs when school is not in session.

During summer months here in Colorado, Food Bank of the Rockies participates in a similar summer food service program, provides more than 97,000 nutritious meals every day to help feed children around the state. Residents can locate a distribution site near them by using our Food Finder tool. If you live outside of Food Bank of the Rockies’ service area, visit the USDA’s Summer Meals Site Finder or text “FOOD or ENGLISH” or “COMIDA or SPANISH” to 304-304 to locate all the pick-up sites near you. (Note: The language you first use to text will be the language used to communicate with you moving forward.)

These summer meals make up just one component of our Food for Kids programs. Throughout the year, Food Bank of the Rockies’ Totes of Hope® program distributes upwards of 20,000 bags of food to kids across the state every month during peak season. These totes contain enough nutritious, shelf-stable food to make roughly seven household meals, and also feature recipes and other preparation tips to help our neighbors make better use of the items within their tote.

Childhood Food Insecurity by the Numbers

• 14 million U.S. children lived in food-insecure households in 2024, up from 13.8 million in 2023. Source: USDA Household Food Security in the United States in 2024 report, released December 2025.
• 18.4% of U.S. households with children were food insecure in 2024, up from a two-decade low of 12.5% in 2021. Source: USDA, 2024 report.
• 31% of Black, non-Hispanic households with children were food insecure in 2024, up from 27.5% in 2023. 36.8% of single-mother households were food insecure in 2024. Source: USDA, 2024 report, via Children’s HealthWatch and FRAC.
• 1 in 8 people and 1 in 5 kids in Food Bank of the Rockies’ Colorado and Wyoming service area experienced food insecurity, per the most recent statewide Map the Meal Gap data. On the Western Slope specifically, childhood food insecurity rose 23% year over year to an estimated. Source: Feeding America Map the Meal Gap, via Food Bank of the Rockies and the Aspen Times.
• 29.4 million children participated in the National School Lunch Program on a typical day in the 2023-2024 school year. Source: Food Research & Action Center, citing USDA data.
• ~97,000 meals packed daily by Food Bank of the Rockies through summer food service. Source: Food Bank of the Rockies program data.

Why This Matters for Colorado and Wyoming Families

Childhood food insecurity doesn’t disappear when school lets out, and it can be harder to address in rural and mountain communities where grocery access, transportation, and seasonal work add extra strain on family budgets. That’s part of why Food Bank of the Rockies keeps summer food service and Totes of Hope distributions running across our full Colorado and Wyoming service area, not just in population centers.

The need has been growing here too. Statewide, roughly 1 in 5 kids in our service area experience food insecurity, according to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap data, as rising food costs and declining federal support put additional strain on families in our rural and mountain communities.

Frequently Asked Questions